One of the most frequently asked questions I get is WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THERAPY & COACHING.
Let me break it down:
THERAPY IS ABOUT HEALING & COPING
Therapy is focused on healing and coping, especially for people with mental health challenges or diagnoses. When you work with a therapist, they’ll help you navigate past or unresolved traumas, develop coping skills, manage anxiety and stress. Therapists are trusted & educated guides that are there to help you make sense of & heal from the past, support you through emotional rough patches and provide strategies for improving your overall well-being and experience of life.
COACHING IS ACTION-ORIENTED & FORWARD-MOVING
Coaching is actually quite different. Coaching is about accountability, action-taking and forward movement. When you work with a coach, we help you confront your limiting beliefs, set realistic but important goals, and create a roadmap for success. Coaching is about transformation – it’s like having a cheerleader and personal strategist rolled into one, pushing you to achieve the things you want, but haven’t quite figure out how to get.
Of course both therapy and coaching offer benefits – so it’s important to understand what you need so you can get the right support.
- Therapy: Focuses on healing past wounds, improving mental health, and providing tools for coping with life’s challenges.
- Coaching: Helps you set and achieve goals, build self-awareness, and develop practical strategies for personal and professional & relationship growth.
THE POWER OF COACHING IN RELATIONSHIPS…
Coaching is especially transformative for relationships, because it’s action-oriented. Yeah it’s important to talk things out, but it’s even more important to talk things out and then DO something about what you’ve discussed. Too often in therapy, you’ll find yourselves rehashing old arguments, becoming distracted by the he said/she said/they said – without a clear path forward.
In coaching, we’re all about forward momentum. We take the insights from our conversations and turn them into actionable steps that move you closer to your relationship goals. Whether it’s improving communication, navigating cultural differences, or strengthening trust and connection, coaching empowers you to implement real changes that make a difference in your day-to-day interactions.
Therapy is more effective for couples that are dealing with complex issues like addiction, significant unhealed trauma, mental health diagnoses, etc
REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE MATTERS!
One of the things that drew me to coaching, after personally working with therapists for over 20 years, is the element of relatability & real life experience – something that can be shared more openly in working with a coaching vs working with a therapist.
As a WOC, a daughter of immigrants, and a partner in interracial & blended family relationships – I need someone who truly understands my lived experiences, my unique challenges, my personal story – and can share lessons, perspectives & their experiences with me.
Professional training is super important – neither therapy nor coaching is the same as your friends or family giving you “advice” – that’s definitely not what we do…
Coaching is about going under the surface, to the places you’d rather not go yourself (or don’t know how to get to yourself), to uncover, remove, release, unblock, clear up, face – whatever is preventing you from having whatever it is you’re wanting – a method that is particularly powerful when it comes to resolving relationship issues.
So it’s especially helpful to work with someone who’s already been there, done that – and really understands what you’re going through.
MY COACHING STYLE: PRACTICAL, REAL, RAW & RELATABLE
For all the reasons above, my personal coaching approach is rooted in transparency and honesty—I share my own experiences and lessons learned openly, creating a safe space for couples to explore their challenges and aspirations without judgement. And together, we work through the underlying beliefs that are creating obstacles in your life & relationship, and develop practical, actionable strategies that lead to meaningful transformation.
There is definitely benefit to both therapy and coaching – although it’s important to recognize the differences, so that you can choose the path that will get you most closely to the results and end-goals you’d like to achieve.
Comments +