What is the Difference Between Coaching and Counseling?
Posted on October 14, 2019 by William Farrand, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
A Life Coach is fundamentally a motivator. Counselors are trained to directly treat deep psychological problems one by one. What do you need?
What is the difference between Coaching and Counseling?
I am often asked that question and it can be best answered in one word: SCOPE.
A Life Coach is fundamentally a motivator. We help you look at the entire scope of your life and help you trace your current pathway on that backdrop. Together we decide if your current path is leading you toward your best life or a series of disappointing life experiences, robbing you of your confidence and trust.
A Life Coach will then suggest different pathways that can lead you to a fulfilling and successful life both personally and professionally.
Counselors are trained to directly assess and treat deep psychological problems one by one. A long process that can often take years. A Life Coach may recommend counseling to remove a “stumbling stone” in your pathway, but more often they will lead you to a different pathway more suited to your talents and abilities.
Either way, there is work to do and both skills can be beneficial.
Music education was my first undergrad course discipline. I was a voice major with a piano minor. In preparation for a vocal recital or performance, two instructors were required. A voice instructor and a vocal coach. The voice instructor focused on the mechanics of good singing: breath, pitch, and core support. The second instructor coached the actual performance of the song: style, proper lyric pronunciation, and performance considerations. Both instructors were important. While most of your time was spent with the voice instructor preparing your vocal technique, the vocal coach brought the “rubber to the road.” They put the edge on performance “knife” and turned a mediocre performance into a stellar one.
So it is with life. A good counselor can work out bad habits, fears, and inner problems with self-image. A life coach will widen the scope, helping you bring your best talents to the table charting a pathway of success and confidence.
What do you need most?
