When is it time to see a life coach rather than a therapist?
There are five main reasons why you might choose to see a life coach instead of a therapist: Subject Matter, Skill Set, Focus, Structure and Session Length. Once you evaluate each, you'll be able to decide if a life coach or a therapist will best be able to fit your needs.
1) Subject Matter
Therapy focuses on improving your mental health, whereas coaching focuses on setting and achieving goals. If you’re struggling with trauma or mental health issues such as depression you would schedule an appointment with a therapist, who has the accreditation to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. However, if you’re looking for help to set achievable goals, to replace unhealthy habits, improve your mindset, manage stress or to find more purpose in your life, it would be more appropriate to see a life coach.
2) Skill Set
A therapist will teach you skills designed to help you heal from whatever challenge you are facing, using psychoanalysis to gain insight into your trauma or past emotional experiences. If you are instead are looking for more general support, a coach will set you up with skills to reach bigger dreams, build a positive mindset, shift your perspective, or break free from a repetitive cycle and self-imposed limiting beliefs. This includes assisting you with setting goals, helping you pursue your passions, teaching you mindfulness tools and dealing with negative self-talk. If you'd like to build skills, re-train your brain and change your life, I can help.
3) Focus
In therapy, you’ll face your past experiences and traumas in order to discover the root of your issues and move forward with whatever challenge you’re currently facing. However, if you’ve already addressed or uncovered the source of your problems, a coach will focus on what you can do to improve your present situation, help you formulate a plan for the future and teach you tools that you can use for the rest of your life.
4) Structure
While both therapists and coaches start their new clients off with an initial session, the reasoning is different. A therapist’s intake session is designed to let the client and their therapist get to know each other and see if they are a good fit. After the intake, the structure of a therapy session is solely dependent on the type of treatment the therapist is administering to the client. The initial coaching session, however, involves a longer period of time in which the coach will gather information about the client’s life goals, obstacles that they have faced or are currently facing, and the state of the client’s mindset. Future coaching sessions are customized per client, dependent on the client’s needs, structured to encourage ongoing progress, and designed to prioritize the client’s strengths and their vision for the future.
5) Session Length
My coaching clients benefit from a longer session period. While most sessions last for about an hour, sometimes sessions can be a bit longer to allow for deeper and fuller discussion and discovery.
Making sure your needs will be met is key to deciding between a life coach and a therapist.
As always, I'm here to help
Lourdes
@lourdes_laifer
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