What’s the difference between therapy and coaching?

Many therapists are branching out into coaching services, and many coaches advertise services that sound a lot like therapy. What’s the difference between therapy and coaching?

Fundamental tasks

The most basic difference is in what these professions do. Therapists assess, diagnose, and treat mental illness. As such, therapists often focus their work on identifying and reducing symptoms. 

Coaches motivate and encourage people to achieve specific goals. Because it does not involve identifying and reducing symptoms, coaches often describe their work as being more positive in nature. 

Of course, there is overlap – many therapists focus attention on client strengths and resources, and many coaches aim to reduce and resolve the problems that stand in the way of clients achieving their goals. 

Regulation

States heavily regulate therapy. Therapists typically must be licensed or working under supervision, and licensure requires a graduate degree along with significant additional experience. Consumers who believe that their therapist behaved unprofessionally can file a complaint with the therapist’s state licensing board, which has the power to investigate and discipline licensees. 

Coaching, on the other hand, is largely unregulated. Anyone can call themselves a “coach” and open a coaching business, regardless of training or experience. While coaching is a legitimate field with a growing research base and a code of ethics, adherence to that code of ethics is entirely voluntary.

Marketing

Some therapists find that marketing their services as “coaching” allows them to reach clients they would not otherwise reach. Some consumers are reluctant to attend therapy, but are willing to meet with a coach. In addition, because of the legal challenges involved with doing therapy across state lines (licensure laws are different from one state to the next, with many states effectively not allowing telehealth to be provided by therapists licensed in another state), some therapists seek to expand their geographic reach by offering services under a coaching framework instead.

Ultimately, both professions have value, and the work can look fairly similar between therapy and coaching. But once the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness is involved, that work becomes therapy.

October 30, 2019

Currently, Dr. Daniela provides online psychotherapy at the American Academy of Mental Health www.aacademyofmh.com. Send Dr. Krotzer a message to either start today!