Is Men's Life Coaching For Me
Knowing Whether You Need Life Coaching vs Therapy / Counseling
I provide all new clients with an assessment to determine if they need Men's Life Coaching or Therapy/Counseling. It is important for you to know the differences so that you can make the best decision for your needs. If you need counseling services, you can check out my services at www.hedbergLPC.com or I can refer you to another provider (i.e mental health professional or psychiatrist) to help you with your needs.
Therapy vs Life Coaching
According to Patrick Williams, Ed.D., MCC, "Therapy is vital for those with psychological problems or what we call pathology. Coaching is for those who are healthy (no serious mental health problems). Both fields have their place and should not be confused. For advanced therapy patients (major issues resolved), coaching can be an additional benefit, but coaching assumes the healing and well-being of it's clients as a given. A therapist may add coaching skills to his or her practice, but a coach never engages in therapy. A coach is trained to detect any need for therapy and there are guidelines for when to refer a coaching client to a therapist."
There are similarities between counseling/therapy and life coaching. Both work to enable clients to make positive changes in their lives and become more productive. While therapists diagnose and treat from a healthcare perspective, not all therapy clients are ill; many healthy people seek the services of both therapists and life coaches. This is why I would not do life coaching without a background in therapy. There are many life coaches that are doing therapy with clients, but are not trained or experienced to do so.
A Quick Glance At The Differences Between Therapy & Coaching
Therapy | Coaching |
|---|---|
Progress is often slow and painful | Growth and progress are rapid and usually enjoyable. |
The Therapist diagnoses, then provides professional expertise and guidelines to provide a path to healing | The Coach stands with the client and helps him or her identify the challenges, then partners to turn challenges into victories, holding client accountable to reach desired goals. |
Helps patients resolve old pain | Helps clients learn new skills and tools to build a more satisfying successful future |
Assumes emotions are a symptom of something wrong | Assumes emotions are natural and normalizes them |
Doctor-patient relationship (The therapist has the answers) | Co-creative equal partnership (Coach helps the client discover own answers) |
Deals mostly with a person's past and trauma, and seeks healing | Deals mostly with a person's present and seeks to help them design a more desirable future |
Deals with identifiable dysfunctions in a person | Deals with a healthy client desiring a better situation |
Chart by Patrick Williams, Ed.D., MCC
