„What´s the difference between coaching and therapy?“ This is one of the most common questions people ask me when deciding if coaching is right for them.

Both modalities work on improving the quality of life & both are very appropriate to seek. When it comes to making the right decision for yourself, it´s crucial to understand the key commonalities and differences. 

Let’s start with some definitions:

  • Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods in treating people who are mentally unwell, rather than using physical methods such as drugs or surgery.  (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/psychotherapy)
  • Coaching is defined as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. (https://coaching

If you are curious about the differences & similarities more in-depth, you may find my blog useful. For the simplified explanation here, let’s pretend, that 0 (zero) is a neutral place in life = not great, not terrible.

  • Psychotherapy works most often on taking a person from -100 to 0 in terms of the quality of their experience, feelings and mental health.
  • Life Coaching works on taking a person from 0 to +100 in terms of how satisfied they are with their experience, feelings and life achievements. 

It might be that someone starts with therapy to get to a neutral place & then works with a Life Coach to really thrive in their life. 

What do Psychotherapy & Life Coaching have in common? 

  • Creating a safe space for the client to be listened to & heard 
  • The therapist and coach are both neutral, non – judgmental & supportive presence in the client´s life
  • Between practitioner and client is established a professional, one-to-one & confidential relationship 
  • Clients come to both services seeking change
  • Both work on tackling complex or simple but meaningful life issues
  • Both professions assume that significant change will only occur over time
  • Both seek to empower the client
  • Within both relationships, regular sessions are scheduled, during which conversations occur

SEEK A LIFE COACH IF YOU: 

  • feel stuck, lost or generally dissatisfied in your life and want to gain clarity, direction and action
  • want to change how you relate to yourself (develop healthy habits, gain self-compassion & self-respect, find motivation and time to take care of yourself, set and navigate your boundaries etc.)
  • want to change how you relate to others (interact with your children, stand up to a boss, ask for what you need, change communication with your family or partner, stop fighting with your friend, collaborate better with colleagues)
  • want to make some big changes or have difficult decisions to make (find a more meaningful career, start or exit a job, move up a career ladder, move to a different place, start a business, start or exit a relationship etc.)
  • want to stop procrastinating and sabotaging yourself and finally focus on achieving your goals
  • want to break through self-limiting beliefs that are preventing you from being the best version of yourself
  • simply want more joy and meaning in your life 😊

SEEK A PSYCHOTHERAPIST IF YOU: 

  • are experiencing mental health problems that interfere with your day to day life (severe anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, hallucinations, substance abuse, eating disorders, phobias, PTSD etc.)
  • are experiencing abuse, violence or are being otherwise endangered 
  • experienced a trauma that you want to heal from in the sessions 
  • are currently facing big life changes, that affect how you cope with your day to day life (difficult illness, loss of a loved one, separation, severe grief etc…)
  • are experiencing uncontrollable and violent anger management issues
  • contemplated harming yourself, harming others or taking your life
  • need a medical diagnosis 

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See you on the other side!