As a certified health and life coach, I believe in ones power to make positive changes to reach their full potential. My goal is to help you identify and reach your goals, whether they be personal or professional, through a series of empowering and supportive sessions.
I’m excited to share my knowledge and experience with you and will be covering the differences between a life coach vs. therapist, and the factors you should consider when deciding which one is best for you. Let’s get started!
Life Coaches Focus on the Future
With life coaching, my primary focus is on helping you identify and achieve your goals for the future. This means that rather than dwelling on the past or getting stuck in current circumstances, we will work together to create a clear vision for your desired future and develop a plan to make it a reality.
This approach is based on a belief I share that by putting a focus lens on the future, we can empower individuals to build a positive mindset in order to take control of their life and make positive changes. We will identify your strengths, passions, and values, and use them to create a personalized action plan.
It’s important to note that a life coach’s role is not to provide therapy or deal with past traumas, but instead to help you navigate the present and design your future.
For example, in my life coaching practice I use a variety of techniques that include:
1. Goal-setting: helping my clients set specific, measurable and achievable goals.
2. Action planning: creating a plan of action to achieve them.
3. Accountability: I encourage habit formation and hold the client accountable for their progress while also helping them stay on track. Creating new habits is great but in order to see real change, you must maintain these habits!
4. Positive psychology: A technique I use to help my clients develop a more positive outlook and mindset.
5. Self-care and empowerment: I guide my clients on how to take better care of themselves and help them gain confidence.
6. Life design: helping my clients create a fulfilling and meaningful life by aligning their values, passions, and strengths.
7. Biohacking: I guide clients to help them optimize their health and performance by using various methods and technologies.
8. Supplements and supplements routine: I help clients understand the value and use of different supplements and create a routine that suits their needs.
Different life coaches come with different specialties of course but in a nutshell, a life coach helps people take the control of their life, helps them focus on their desired future, and empowers them with the tools and resources to achieve it.
What exactly is a life coach?
A life coach is a type of wellness professional who helps people make progress in their lives in order to attain greater fulfillment [1]. They are not therapists, but they can help identify strengths and weaknesses and overcome obstacles holding someone back [2]. A life coach’s job is to generate real results in a person’s life by helping them create positive outcomes [3]. They do this by providing guidance, support, and accountability[4][5].
Therapists often focus on the past
While a life coach focuses on helping individuals achieve their goals for the future, a therapist’s primary focus during therapy sessions is on understanding and addressing past traumas that may be impacting an individual’s current mental health and emotional well-being.
Therapists use a variety of techniques to help you process and understand past experiences, and develop healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult emotions. Some of these include:
1. Talk therapy: This is a common technique where the therapist and client have a conversation about the client’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The therapist helps the client gain insight into their emotions and behavior and develop coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult experiences and emotions.
2. Exposure therapy: A technique used to help clients overcome specific phobias or anxiety disorders by gradually exposing them to the thing they fear in a safe and controlled environment.
3. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): This type of therapy helps clients improve their emotional regulation and reduce self-destructive behaviors.
4. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): This technique is often used to help clients process and overcome traumatic experiences.
5. Mindfulness-based therapy: This helps clients focus on the present moment and learn to manage their thoughts and emotions more effectively.
6. Interpersonal therapy (IPT): A form of therapy that focuses on the client’s relationships and how they affect their mental health.
Accreditation and Services
While life coaches are not typically regulated by any government agency or professional organization, some of us choose to become certified through professional coaching organizations such as the international coaching federation (ICF).
This is an optional step that many life coaches, take to demonstrate our commitment to the profession and to assure our clients that we have met certain standards of education and experience. It’s important to know that there are multiple certifications available, and it’s always a good idea to check if a life coach you’re considering working with has a certification.
Therapists are typically licensed and regulated by state boards, they have completed an accredited program, passed a licensing exam, and have ongoing continuing education requirements.
What can’t a life coach do?
The role as a coach is to empower you to make positive changes in your life while guiding you, there are certain boundaries that we have to go by.
For example, the key differences are that I’m not a licensed therapist and therefore, I can’t diagnose any mental health conditions, do not have the ability to treat mental health conditions or prescribe medications that some healthcare professionals do. I also can’t provide medical advice, give legal advice, or provide financial advice. These are the main differences between coaches and therapists.
While I do not provide mental health care, I work alongside mental health professionals to support clients in their journey.
If you have a mental health concern and looking for mental health treatment, therapy focuses on taking a deep dive into the root of the issues that are causing them and will be your best choice.
Can you give advice on mental health challenges?
The main focus of my coaching services is to help you identify and achieve your goals through a series sessions. When it comes to mental health advice, I have to be honest with you, it’s not my area of expertise. While I can listen, support, and help you identify patterns of thought and behavior that may be holding you back, I am not a licensed mental health professional and I won’t be able to diagnose or treat mental health problems or conditions.
That being said, if during our coaching sessions, we find that you may benefit from therapy or any other type of mental health care treatment, I will make sure to refer you to a licensed professional who can help you with this.
What Clients Can Expect During a Life Coaching Session?
During our sessions, we will usually start with a check-in, where we will catch up on how you’ve been doing since the last session, what’s been going well and what hasn’t. After that, we will move on to discussing specific, measurable and achievable goals that are important to you short and long term, and we’ll create an action plan to help you reach them. Every person is different and I make sure that your plan works for you.
I’ll also be providing you with feedback, guidance, and support and asking questions to help you identify patterns of thought and behavior that may be holding you back.
Don’t worry, we’ll work together to find ways to overcome them.
Lastly, I’ll be holding you accountable for your progress, we’ll be reviewing your action plans, and we’ll be making adjustments as needed. By the end of our session, you’ll have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and how you’re going to achieve it.
When should I see a life coach?
A life coach can be a powerful asset and you should consider seeing a life coach if you want to:
Make a significant change in your personal or professional life
Improve your relationships, career or business
Increase your self-awareness and reach your full potential
Overcome obstacles that are holding you back
Develop new skills and set new habits
Have someone to hold you accountable for your progress
Create a more balanced and fulfilling life
Develop a more positive mindset and outlook
Set and achieve personal development goals
Create a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle
Discover your passions and purpose in life
Life coaching sessions are for those that want to focus on personal growth, achieving life goals, overall wellness and self improvement.
When should I see a therapist?
A therapist can help you understand and process past experiences and traumas, work through mental health issues, and improve your overall mental and emotional heath.
You should consider seeing a therapist if you:
Are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions.
Are struggling with addiction or substance abuse
Are struggling with mental illness / bipolar disorder / personality disorder
Are dealing with a traumatic event or experience
Are having difficulty managing stress and emotions
Are experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
If you’re looking for a coach, please don’t hesitate in reaching out and scheduling a consultation. I look forward to the opportunity to working with you and helping you reach your full potential.
Therapy helps you learn to heal; coaching empowers you to achieve goals.
Resources
1. What Is a Life Coach? – Verywell Mind
2. They’re Not a Therapist, but Here’s How – Oprah Daily
3. What Is a Life Coach? Do You Need One? – Leaders.com
4. What Life Coaching Is (And What It Isn’t) – BetterUp
5. What Is a Life Coach? – The Life Coach School
6. What Is a Therapist [Psychotherapist]? – The Complete Definition
Conclusion
Life coaching and therapy are both powerful tools that can help individuals improve their lives, but they are not interchangeable. Therapy is often for those that need help learning and healing from deep rooted issues or past traumas while life coaching is for those who need guidance in making their lives better while empowering them to achieve their goals despite them.
