Life Coach or Therapist
Posted on August 29, 2018 by Victor Chambers, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
This article helps differentiate the difference between life coaches and therapists.
In the world of personal development and health it is very important to distinguish what your needs are so that you don’t get the help of an under trained paraprofessional who through ignorance or stupidity won’t put your best interests first.
I’ve struggled with figuring out how to be honest and helpful while redirecting a potential client who may need much more than any life coach should offer.
All too often an unregulated industry can cause more harm than good if the industry leaders are not astute or fail to put their clientele first. In life coaching, life coaches are the industry leaders. It’s true, some life coaches are trained therapists but the discerning factor between the role of a life coach or therapist is you and your level of need. Most therapists who are life coaches will refer you to a practicing therapist because they generally have a high level of ethical responsibility due to the training they have undergone. Under trained life coaches may try to ‘help’ you for a variety of reasons even though life coaching a person who needs therapy is like putting a band aid on a gunshot wound. So, you should learn enough to discern the primary differences between therapy, life coaching and crisis intervention.
If you are suicidal or in crisis, you should not wait to engage health care professional. In fact if you are suicidal you can call the national suicide hotline.
1-800-273-8255
There will be trained experts on the other end of the line who will know how to help and what resources may be available to you. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.
Individuals who are trained to provide counseling may come from a variety of different educational backgrounds which can’t be gleaned from reading a couple self help books. If you are having a problem which is creating stress or distress in your life, reach out to a trained professional. They will be able to help you work through whatever problems you are facing.
Therapy is a tool which should be used when a person faces significant problems which interfere with their ability to function. This may include past traumas or current social problems.
Therapists won’t typically self disclose. That is they aren’t going to share their life with you. They are going to carefully listen and pose questions to get you to engage a specific type of process that has been created and tested by trained professionals.
Seek out a crisis hotline or therapist if you are suicidal or struggling to function due to a past trauma or current problems. Anything that impedes you from living a life free of distress or challenges your ability to function normally is worth seeing a therapist for.
Life Coaching is a tool which promotes a process of defining and achieving future goals, enhancing quality of life, improving social ties, efficiency at work or shifting an outlook. Life coaching won’t typically delve into your past or deal with trauma, or problems that are deeply rooted to your development as a person. Life Coaching processes focus on improving your life by focusing on what’s important, creating purpose, defining or strengthening your own values and building a personal sense of self.
Life Coaches will self disclose. This is one of the big differences between coaches and counselors. Life Coaches can share experiences they have had which might guide you toward where you are going. This is alliance building. Life Coaches won’t typically offer advice. A coach will help you develop or hone skills which will allow you to make the choices which will lead to the outcomes you desire.
It’s important to be honest with yourself when deciding whether you need a life coach or a therapist. There is a negative stigma associated with therapy but there’s no real reason to be afraid from engaging in the process and you might discover it’s what you were missing all along.
If you’ve found that you aren’t suffering from past traumas or significant problems which impede your judgement but just want to be more focused on reaching your goals, a life coach might be just what you need.
I wish you luck on your journey.
