Coaching & Therapy by Marilyn Edelson

Coaching & Therapy
by Marilyn Edelson

The distinctions between coaching and therapy are not always so clear—particularly in the domain of personal coaching. Some prospective clients seek coaching because they've "done" psychotherapy and feel they've "maxed out" the benefits. Others don't want to be identified with having a "problem" or illness and find coaching has more appeal. There are 330 different schools of therapy but the following are a few distinctions to know to help prospective clients understand the differences between coaching and traditional [psychodynamic] psychotherapy.

Coaching is about creating results. Therapy, while it should and will often create results, focuses on healing psychological or situational pain or distress.

Coaching is future-oriented. Therapy is past-based.

Coaching is collaboration between coach and client. Therapy is increasingly a three-way relationship in which an insurance company has say and knows the client's issues.

Both coaching and therapy can be process oriented. Coaching may also focus on other areas which therapy would not-balance, strategic planning, life planning.

Therapists can and frequently do "coach" their clients—particularly in long-term relationships after the major psychological work has been done. Therapists can be the best coaches because of their training in listening skills. Where therapists need to be careful is in overstepping the client's boundaries by psychologizing issues or going where there is not contract. Non-therapist coaches need to concern themselves with recognizing when they are in an arena in which more expertise is needed and when to direct their clients to a therapist. This should be pretty obvious, but a few tell-tale signs are feeling depleted by a client, feeling overly concerned or preoccupied by the client's issue or feeling devalued by the client's claim we aren't doing enough for them in the coaching.