Counseling vs. Coaching?
When we think of healing and change, therapy has become the go-to answer. Therapy is a vast field. With licensure that varies from state to state and country to country, multiple disciplines and even more modalities, it can be difficult to give one general definition of what therapy really is. However, there are some important differences between counseling and coaching services.
One of the main and most important distinctions is that counseling is focused around the treatment and healing of mental health issues/disorders, whereas coaching does not work on mental health difficulties, such as anxiety, depression, trauma, etc.
In therapy, a client may want help with a specific or broadened problem. Therapists are highly trained professionals that employ tools from the science of psychology and implement a treatment plan. Some will describe therapy as going more in-depth than coaching. Therapy often focuses on past experiences and healing in that sense.
Coaching, in contrast, is often focused on achieving a particular goal. Coaching is seen as partnering with clients to work towards a specific future oriented outcome. From a counselors perspective, coaching may be viewed as a specialization that requires specific and focused training.
According to Counseling Today, coaching is a “specialized approach for assisting clients who are relatively free from acute psychological distress and who appear able, in the eyes of the provider, to apply their resources to the pursuit of goals, actions and outcomes they have identified”.
The following can be helpful in determining whether counseling or coaching services may be more beneficial for you:
If you are located in the State of South Dakota and have determined counseling services are the best fit for you, please reach out. If you are outside of the state of South Dakota and interested in counseling services, utilize the PsychologyToday therapist finder to help find an in-network provider near you. If you are in the United States and have decided that coaching services are the best fit for you, reach out.
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