How to Choose Between Therapy and Coaching
Here is a guide to help you through the essential decision between choosing a coach or therapist as an individual or couple. While both professionals are dedicated to enhancing your life and relationships, they approach the healing process in distinct ways that cater to different needs.
Understanding Therapy and Coaching
At the core, therapy digs deep into past experiences and traumas to unravel present behaviors. They are an excellent choice for those grappling with mental health issues such as extreme mood swings, depression, or other personality issues. This type of talk therapy delves into emotional challenges, destructive patterns and that stem from past experiences, including childhood traumas or past relationship difficulties. Therapeutic skills and tools are applied to address these challenges.
Conversely, coaching (individual or couples) is all about taking action in the now to achieve specific future goals. It’s about learning new skills, enhancing communication, and strategizing how to achieve a more fulfilled life and relationship. Coaches focus more on the present and helping you develop strategies to move forward effectively. It’s a collaborative journey toward achieving defined objectives and establishing relational skills.
Dr. Lori’s unique approach is a blend of both worlds. With a unique method, she unravels past experiences, traumas, family of origin issues, intergenerational trauma and other pertinent issues. This is done quickly and non-diagnostically but provides clients with a life long tool. From here it’s understood what habits, patterns and beliefs make up a person or couples foundation – for better or worse!
It becomes a personal road map of sorts – a guide to become more aware, heal, transform, transmute and master self and relationships. Coaching time is spent on rewiring the brain for permanent behavior change with psychology tools, communication skills, healing techniques, energy work and other modalities. Clients build a tool box of skills, practices and knowledge they can use every day for a lifetime. All this while working towards future goals and desired outcomes.
Therapists vs. Coaches
Therapists:
- Provide diagnoses when necessary, often for insurance coverage.
- Explore deep-seated personality issues, often stemming from childhood.
- Focus on untangling subconscious patterns to resolve current problems.
- Require specific education and licensure to practice.
Coaches:
- Focus on current and past behaviors and how to modify them to reach goals.
- Formulate action-oriented strategies for personal and relationship improvement.
- Help clients learn and develop new skills and practices for a brighter future.
- While certification exists, it’s not mandatory for practice.
Making the Right Choice for You
Choosing between a therapist and a coach begins with self-reflection. Ask yourself:
- Is There a Mental Health Issue? Active or severe mental health struggles like depression, anxiety, or bi-polar symptoms may benefit more from therapy. Or if seeking a diagnosis or being treated with medications. While both therapy and coaching help process emotions and underlying issues, coaching is ideal if individuals or couples are on stable mental footing and work on goals.
- Do You Want to Focus on Past or Move Forward? Traditional talk therapy is designed to do a deep dive into childhood, past traumas and issues effecting the client. All very valuable but without a good therapist can turn into years of talk without change, become a crutch or be so ineffective people give up, especially in couples counseling. People today need a more multi-dimensional, holistic approach that addresses them uniquely as a person and in relationships. If you’re interested in a more dynamic, holistic approach to move forward and build skills, coaching could be more suitable.
- What Stage Are You At In Your Growth? Consider your current challenges. Are you ready to build and grow, or are your issues so severe diagnostics or therapeutic intervention is required? Therapy provides a solid foundation for those with severe unresolved issues. While coaching encourages growth from a place of stability – even if in a crisis or breakdown.
What They Both Offer
Both therapists and coaches provide an empathetic space for personal and relationship growth. They strive for positive changes that enhance connection, communication, and life satisfaction.
Specialties
Relationship Coaches:
- Target goals like improving communication, achieving work-life balance, and enhancing empathy.
- Offer strategies for emotional clarity and professional success intertwined with relationship goals.
Marriage Counselors:
- Address past traumas and mental health concerns.
- Navigate complex issues like family history, anxiety, or depression affecting the relationship.
Taking the step toward hiring either a therapist or a coach is a commendable commitment to growth. By evaluating your needs, you’re making an informed choice to enrich your relationship and, ultimately, your life. Remember, a successful relationship often leads to an enhanced life experience overall!
