Coaching Vs. Therapy: Which One Is Right for Your Needs?

If you’re seeking support, you might be wondering whether you need a therapist, a coach, or maybe even both. While the two services often get confused, it’s important to understand the unique differences between them. Let’s explore how coaching and therapy typically diverge.

Coaching and Therapy Akin to Football

Coaching serves those seeking better performance and outcomes, while therapy serves those seeking to better their mental health and explore their personal history. While there might appear to be similarities between the two services, the basis, experience, and outcomes are quite different.

Think of coaching and therapy like you might think about a physical therapist and coach for your favorite football team. A physical therapist helps the players recoup and heal from past injuries, while a coach helps the players increase their skills and follow a strategy to win the game. Neither professional can effectively do the other’s job.

The same holds true for business professionals. While a therapist can help their clients explore their past and move forward from emotional trauma, a coach is focused on helping clients build skills to optimize their future and achieve their goals.

3 Benefits of Coaching That Often Can’t Be Found in Therapy

Business publications such as Forbes and CNBC discuss the best reasons to hire a coach and offer clear guidelines to help their readers determine whether to seek care from a coach, a therapist, or another professional. Here are three major benefits of coaching that clients typically don’t experience in therapy.

1. A Coach Can Help Guide You to Your Next Career Move

Individuals across various industries discover that coaching is instrumental in enhancing their professional life. Coaches, with expertise in diverse sectors, stand ready to assist clients in cultivating the necessary skills to achieve their goals and optimize their futures.

Often, clients grappling with career progression can gain clarity and proficiency in goal-setting from a coach. This guidance positions them more favorably to make informed decisions that align with their envisioned future.

2. A Coach Can Help You Develop Tools Directly Related to Your Goals

With a coach’s guidance, you can hone the skills and devise strategies essential for reaching your goals. Regardless of what your goal is, a coach assists in pinpointing growth opportunities and enhancing the skills that bolster your chances for success.

Imagine aspiring to advance in your career or enrich family time. A coach can aid in refining your soft skills, fostering leadership qualities at work, or enhancing your role within the family. In any scenario, a coach will help you identify key areas for improvement and equip you with the tools needed to shape a better future.

3. A Coach Can Help You Optimize Your Future

Don’t want to dig up past mistakes and failures? No problem. A coach is adept at guiding clients toward future-oriented solutions, equipping them with the tools to achieve their aspirations. In contrast, a therapist typically delves into a client’s history and current state to understand their situation better.

Consider the example of a football player. The player’s physical therapist will address their present health, taking previous injuries into account. On the other hand, the coach is focused on the ultimate prize—the Super Bowl—aiming to elevate the player’s performance for the grand showdown.

Sometimes, You Need Both

For certain individuals, coaching alone may not be enough to enhance their performance. Consider a football player heading into the Superbowl while grappling with multiple, unaddressed injuries—coaching alone wouldn’t address their physical needs.

Coaching is undoubtedly valuable for those committed to achieving their next life or career milestone. However, it’s important to recognize that coaching is not a substitute for therapy. Therapists are equipped to provide rehabilitation, support, and healing, with a focus on mental health and the treatment of psychological disorders—areas where coaches are not certified to assist. While therapists help clients work through emotional turmoil, coaches concentrate on eliciting insights and exploring various options, emphasizing actionable steps to surmount challenges and achieve goals.

Therefore, for optimal happiness, well-being, and success, some clients may find that the combined support of both a therapist and a coach is essential.

How to Know if You’re Ready for a Coach

If you still aren’t sure if a coach is the right option for you, ask yourself a few questions.

1. Are you ready but struggling to take your life or career to the next level?
2. Are you looking for support and accountability for your challenging goals?
3. Do you need objectivity to help you understand how to make tough decisions?

If so, now might be the perfect time to work with a coach.

The Bottom Line

While therapy and coaching may seem similar, they fundamentally differ in approach, experience, and outcomes. For those eager to make transformative changes to better their future, Arootah provides a suite of coaching services tailored to various needs.

Our Executive Coaches assist leaders with decision-making, adapting to new business landscapes, and team management. In parallel, our Career Coaches guide professionals at any stage, equipping them to ascend to the next rung of their career ladder.

Arootah Life Coaching addresses a wider spectrum of aspirations, aiding clients in achieving satisfaction in both personal and professional spheres. And for individuals dedicated to elevating their health practices, Arootah offers specialized Health Coaching.

Ready to see if coaching is right for you? Book a free introductory call to learn more!