This is a question I get asked pretty often:

“Should I get coaching, or go to therapy?”

And oh man…that is just so not a simple question. Coaching and therapy are both such incredibly valuable options! If it’s an option for you, having both a life coach and a therapist could totally supercharge your life! However, I know that isn’t always an option, nor a priority.

In my first blog post of 2020, I touched briefly on the main differences between life coaching and therapy, but I thought I would dive into it a little more today.

– THERAPY –

First of all, it’s a fairly common misconception that only people who have “real problems” go to therapy; but in actuality, it’s incredibly resourceful to go to therapy even when you’re not dealing with any major issues. You could go to therapy for help with strengthening your marriage (again, even if your marriage is fine), you could go to therapy to help you figure out how to create more symbiotic work/life balance, you could go to therapy if you would like guidance making a career change…really, the possibilities are endless. Just like life coaches, most therapists specialize in different areas, which is incredibly helpful when you’re looking for help with something specific.

A therapist can also help you with mental health difficulties, and are able to clinically diagnose and assess you. They can help you using science and research-proven methods and techniques. They are well-versed and practiced in collaborating with doctors and other professionals when needed. They are also bound by state and federal law to maintain your privacy and confidentiality.

When you go to therapy, they will typically ask you to share with them about your life and your background, to give them a well rounded picture of who you are, and what your life has been like; not only the events that have occurred, but how you have thought and felt about those events as well.

Then moving forward, your therapist will help you better understand and resolve whatever challenge(s) it is you’re facing. Some therapists will be super direct, and give you straightforward feedback, and specific techniques to practice in between sessions; others may provide you with more space and simple guidance to allow you to come to your own conclusions.

Therapists are required to go through extensive formal education to be able to practice. Depending on the kind of therapist you see, they have (at bare minimum) received a bachelors degree, typically also have a masters or doctoral degree, and are licensed wherever they practice.

Sounds like the total package, right? So why would you even bother considering a life coach? Keep reading friend, and I’ll tell you exactly why.

– Life Coach –

I have heard the misconception a few times that life coaches are basically just unlicensed therapists; but that’s not the case.

How I’ve stated it in the past is that coaching picks up where you left off in therapy, and helps you move forward. And while that is true in some respects, there is plenty of overlap here. However, it is true that, generally speaking, a coach is going to help you clearly identify the goal that you would like to achieve, and identify what has stopped you from making that goal happen. There are many different methods of coaching, but they all typically boil down to teaching you how to shift your thoughts and behaviors.

Coaches don’t generally spend much time focusing on the problems, but rather on how to move forward and upward. The goal of a life coach is to enable and empower you to find your stable neutral ground, see the bountiful options you have before you, and the infinite capability you have for change. Your coach then guides you to take action, and helps steer you in the direction you want to go.

While therapists are extremely regulated, life coaches are the exact opposite – as of this moment (although I suspect this will change at some point with the rising popularity of life coaching), life coaching is completely unregulated. There are no state licensing boards, there are no college degrees, or any kind of formal education to become a life coach. Literally anyone can start practicing as a life coach at any moment simply by declaring that they are a life coach (did anyone else picture Michael Scott when they read the word “declaring”?).

So you can see that it’s incredibly important that you do your due diligence when selecting your life coach. Follow them on social media for a while to get a feel for them, peruse their website regularly, watch their Instagram stories, start engaging with them (comment on posts, respond to their stories, email them, comment on their blog posts, etc) to see what it’s like when they engage back with you. Build a relationship with them, and you will start to see whether they’re a good option for you or not. You’re a smart cookie – you’ll know if it’s beneficial. And also, most coaches offer a free initial coaching session (I know I do), which I highly recommend if you’re seriously considering hiring them. That will be the best way to know if it will be a good fit.

– BONUS –

Now, this is some exciting news! Are you ready? Last week, I was able to start a big certification program that I have been drooling over for some time now! It’s called the Yes Supply Method (you can check it out here), and it’s enabling me to bridge the gap between therapy and life coaching!

Now, to be clear – I will NOT be a therapist when I complete these certifications. I do have my bachelors degree, but it is not in therapy (although I did spend a lot of time studying something that in layman’s terms is basically movement therapy…but I digress).

But I WILL be:

• a certified NLP Practitioner

• a certified EFT Practitioner

• certified in T.I.M.E. Techniques

• a certified clinical Hypnotherapist

• a certified Life & Success Coach (I already have one life coaching certification, but I’m looking forward to having an additional layer!)

At the time of writing this, I am working through the first one: becoming a certified NLP Practitioner. So to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what exactly the rest of my certifications will entail; but you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be able to answer that soon! For now, here is what NLP is:

– Neurolinguistic Programming –

If we break it down:

Neuro: The physical components as well as the mental and emotional components of our neurology

Linguistic: Pertains to the language that you use; more specifically, how you communicate with others and (more importantly) how you communicate with yourself

Programming/function: Perceiving your mind as your internal operating system, Programming is the way our past experiences, thoughts, and emotions affect all areas of our lives

So, in a nutshell – NLP is about learning the language of your own mind. This certification is essentially providing me with the users manual for your brain. It’s a set of highly effective tools and techniques, but it’s so much more than that; it’s an attitude and methodology of knowing how to help you achieve your goals and get real results. Most of the tools and techniques that I’m learning are even the same tools and techniques that are used by many therapists. So again, disclaimer – I will not be a licensed therapist. But I AM, and will continue to be, an advocate for YOU.

So, back to the original question: should you see a therapist or a coach? As I’m sure you’ve gathered, I can’t answer that question for you. I would just encourage you to do your homework, put out your feelers for both options, make a choice, and move forward. In that action of moving forward, you will gain more clarity on which option is best for you at this time than you will by just sitting on this information.

Did you learn something new and helpful from this? If so, share this with your friends, and let me know in the comments below what you learned!