Life coach vs therapist - what’s the difference?
We all need support from time to time. Someone to listen to us, offer us advice, a safe space to be able to work out our problems, and generate solutions. Family and friends can be great to turn to, but most people are not trained to truly listen to us without filtering what we're saying through their own past experiences. That's why working with a trained professional at different points and seasons of your life can be so beneficial. Therapists and Coaches are trained to help you in different ways. A therapist can help you heal experiences from your past, and a life coach can help to get you from where you are today to where you desire to be in the future. Understanding what you need support with will help to determine which modality is better suited for you. Sometimes a client can even work with both a therapist and a coach at the same time, as long as the boundaries are clear and the coach remains in the coaching arena.
With that said, what is the difference between a life coach and a therapist, and how do you know which one is right for you? Let's find out!
FOCUS
One of the main differences between a life coach and a therapist is the topics that they cover. Therapists are trained to treat individuals with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, thought disorders and PTSD. Life coaches do not diagnose, treat or prescribe. Instead, they are trained to offer you personal support and guidance. This involves pointing out obstacles that the individual may not have recognized and discussing ways to overcome them and empower the self.
DEVELOPMENT
Therapists can support an individual with a mental illness caused by a chemical imbalance in their body or a traumatic event. They aim to help their clients develop skills that enable them to cope with their condition during their everyday lives. On the other hand, life coaches work with their clients to develop crucial life skills that will help them achieve their goals both professionally and personally. Such skills that life coaches attempt to foster include self-awareness, leadership, communication, and positivity.
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
Since mental health issues can come from past traumas, therapists spend a lot of time decoding that past with patients and helping them overcome it. With life coaches, the opposite is true. When helping a client, life coaches prioritize the present. By guiding clients to become self-aware, they are also helping them identify problems and actively look for solutions. Life coaches aren't only thinking about current problems though; they know that after their clients have left them, they will continue to face obstacles. By using existing challenges as the foundation, they help clients build the skills needed to overcome problems in the future, thereby enhancing their everyday quality of life.
PACKAGES
Therapy is a process of healing and, therefore, no one can set an end date to the treatment. The patient's wellness improves when it improves. With therapy, it's generally pay-as-you-go. A patient can quit any time they want, but they are encouraged not to if it is clear that they need further sessions. When clients choose to work with a life coach, they are generally signing on for a set amount of time. Different life coaches will offer different packages. For example, a client may choose six weeks or six months of once-a-week sessions.
DIAGNOSIS
If you've received a medical diagnosis from your doctor regarding your mental health, you will likely be referred to a therapist. Sometimes, therapists will prescribe medication as a course of treatment depending on the severity of the situation. As it is a recognized treatment for mental illness, therapists are commonly covered by health insurance. Life coaches do not treat mental illness but rather help people who are not reaching their full potential, and therefore aren't typically covered by insurance. Although, a growing number of progressive corporations and government institutions are recognizing the importance and impact of coaching and are including this in employee incentive packages.
TRAINING
All therapists report to a regulating body and must at least have a Master's Degree in the field of psychology or social work to qualify for their position. In Ontario, for example, they have to register with the College of Psychologists to practice. In addition, therapists are expected to learn as they practise through continued real-world education. Whereas life coaching is not a regulated industry at the moment. The International Coaching Federation is the world's largest governing body that seeks to uphold the integrity of the profession by accrediting coaches and schools to meet the gold standards of coaching. If you decide to work with a coach, finding an ICF accredited coach is important to make sure that individual is trained and able to support you safely and effectively.
The Mind Rebel™ Academy offers a two-step program for folks who want to become life coaches accredited by the International Coaches Federation. At The Mind Rebel™ Academy, our commitment is to bring out the full potential in each and every individual. If you're interested in learning more, don't hesitate to book a discovery call today and find out whether the vocation of life coaching is the right fit for you.
If you are interested in experiencing Coaching, we also offer our Coaching for a Cause initiative, where clients can receive life coaching from our students or alumni in exchange for a donation to a cause of their choice, in an amount that's affordable to them.
