Coaching is not therapy, counselling, advice giving, mental healthcare, or treatment for substance abuse or any addictive behaviour. The coach is not functioning as a licensed mental health professional, therapist or counsellor, and coaching is not intended as a replacement for counselling, psychiatric interventions, treatment for mental illness, recovery from past trauma, or professional medical advice.
Coaches do not diagnose, treat or prescribe medication.
Coaching is „Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” (ICF)
Coaching is for people who may be struggling, but who have a stable emotional baseline.
Coaching can involve brainstorming, values clarification, completion of written assignments, education, goal-setting, identifying plans of action, accountability, making requests, agreements to change behaviour, examining lifestyles and responding to questions from the coach.
There is a distinct equality to the Coach and Client relationship. Coaches support clients no matter what they choose to do, always validating and understanding how the client arrived in this situation. The client is responsible for the outcome and growth.
What is Therapy?
Therapy is generally a long-term process where a client works with a mental health professional to diagnose, recognize and resolve unhealthy beliefs, behaviours, relationship issues, emotional and physical responses created by past traumas.
Therapy focuses on the past traumas and issues and can incorporate specific modalities in order to adapt or change self-destructive habits, maladaptive coping mechanisms, repair and improve relationships and work through the painful emotions from the past traumas.
Therapy uses introspection, analysis and structured theories, aiming to resolve the past traumas and issues to create a healthier, functioning, happier and more stable present and future.
What does Coaching focus on?
Coaches believe that you are creative, resourceful, and whole. There’s nothing to fix, you are not broken. So, coaching primarily focuses on the present and moving into the future.
As a coach, I do explore my client’s background, but only so far as it’s in service of understanding how it influences their current beliefs and actions and promotes their growth.
What does Therapy focus on?
Therapy examines your past with a focus toward healing to make you whole and bring you into the present.
What is the goal of Coaching?
The goal of coaching is to help you get “unstuck.” Coaching gives you practical, real-world solutions. It helps you develop a new level of self-awareness but also bridges the gap to answer the question, “Okay, now what shall I do about it?!”
My clients always walk away from each session with tangible steps and concrete tools, tactics, and strategies to implement.
What is the goal of Therapy?
Therapy aims to reach a deep understanding of behaviors and patterns with a goal of overall mental health. This is why therapy can be helpful for issues like depression and anxiety. While a therapist may set treatment goals, your sessions will be focused on reflection, healing and understanding emotional pain.
How long does Coaching last?
Coaching tends to get results much faster because it’s more intentional, purposeful, and directive.
Some of my clients even say that they see an immediate transformation after the first session.
How long does Therapy last?
Therapy tends to be a long-term commitment – many people go to therapy for years or even their entire lives.
