Coaching vs. Therapy

Well, I’m in this coaching business now, and boy do I get questions from my friends and family! Hey, Kara, what, exactly do you do? And I know there are a lot of different kinds of coaching and consulting and therapy, etc., which truly is confusing to keep straight! So, I’m going to tell you, in my own words, what Life Coaching is and isn’t to me.

Here I go… Let’s address therapy and psychotherapy first. These services are absolutely helpful and necessary. They follow a medical model and seek to “heal”. Generally, the professionals in these fields work with people who have had a severe trauma, have a diagnosed mental disorder (like depression, anxiety, etc.), need prescription drugs, or are having trouble moving beyond a past trauma. They get carefully guided and walked through their struggle in a safe and well-researched manner. The therapist is the clear leader of the session and might use cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, exposure therapy or even inkblots to pull information out of the client. They are working to get their client from dysfunctional to functional. These are very regulated professionals, and they might be psychologists, psychiatrists, marital and family counselors, social workers, and I’m likely forgetting some. Again, these are important areas of mental health and serve a population in need of their expertise.

Life coaching is vastly different. Life coaches work with more freedom. This makes us highly responsible for our own ethics and we must know our boundaries. We don’t diagnose or prescribe medicine. We are a forward-looking bunch of folks. We’re here to help you move toward all things you want in life. Occasionally we may have to look at where you’ve been, but we don’t stay there long. Life coaches believe you are fully functional, and we want you to be the co-leader in the session. We can and often do work with people who might have depression or anxiety, but we’re not treating that. Life coaches can and often do work with people who are in grief or in recovery, but it is our job to recognize if you are in need of therapy for that condition or if you’re ready to take steps toward exactly what you want in life.

We believe you are naturally creative, resourceful and whole. You don’t need to be fixed. You are not broken. You might be stuck, and we’re just the “unsticker” you need! We will be educational and help you with self-exploration. We will ultimately help you manage your mind thereby helping you function at your highest level.

Sounds kinda fun doesn’t it? Well, it is, and for me personally, it’s been much more than that. It has been life changing. As life throws things at us, we all do the best we can. I don’t think I did too bad muddling my way through. But let me tell you, I sure wish I’d had some of the life coach tools I have now for some of the things I’ve experienced in the past: losing my father at age 17, the hustle and bustle of building a career, experiencing a miscarriage, having a life-threatening birth experience during the delivery of my daughter, raising that little kiddo (she’s in college now) who was literally busy every night of the week and on weekends, keeping up with social/volunteering/personal health activities, taking care of an aging parent, having a child with a serious health condition, and a husband with a life threatening cancer. And I’m sure that list is shorter than some of yours! I can honestly profess, that without my coaching knowledge and tools, that last one on the list (the cancer) would have taken my literal breath away, and is the only one of the list I was able to use all my coach training for. I practiced what I’ve learned and have never felt so lucky in all my life.

So…that’s what coaching recently gave to me… months of life-giving, clearing, easy, breaths of fresh air, calm decision making, positivity and happy days where there could have been much darkness. I hope this sheds a little light on coaching, and that you won’t hesitate to try life coaching yourself or recommend it to your family and friends who might need it. I’d love to lend a helping hand!