When I worked as a therapist I often found myself coaching my clients towards their goals. I didn’t recognize the difference between coaching and therapy at that time but, in retrospect, I think I spent as much time outlining the steps to improving their lives as I did on the issues that brought them to my office. Although the issues of the past certainly figured into our work it seemed that the present, and more importantly the future, had the greatest opportunity for enhancement. I found myself most fulfilled when I focused on motivating my clients towards change. And I saw the changes that they made, even the smallest ones, shift the course of their lives.
My therapy clients were not in my office for simple, straightforward assistance; they were incarcerated in a correctional institution. Theirs were complicated, life-long challenges that had blocked them from living the lives they desired. They often functioned in a cycle of negativity and destruction. Time after time, however, I saw the work that we did together have a massive impact on moving towards the life that they had always wanted. Were they “cured”? I am not sure how to answer that question although it’s been asked of me many times. All I can tell you is that they were more satisfied, more aware, more thoughtful and more motivated in their lives. I realized early on in my career that I was really a coach in a therapist’s office. The skills I have to coach people have strengthened my career through by adding value within every position I have held. Being a coach is my passion. I have dedicated myself to it completely and believe in the effectiveness of coaching.
As a coach I would be very inclined to recommend therapy to a client as part of their life plan if there is bona fide reason to seek the support of a therapist such as a mental illness or past emotional trauma. Given my experience as a therapist and background in psychology, this determination would be relatively easy for me. This referral wouldn’t mean that coaching is unnecessary. Coaching involves creating a plan, taking action based on that plan and reaching the goals that you set for yourself. Therapy is simply a component of that plan for many of my clients.
So before you read the pro/con arguments to decide if you should seek therapy or connect with a coach, ask yourself: do you want to focus on your past or your present? Do you have mental health issues that need to be addressed by a licensed professional? Do you trust that your coach will recognize if therapy would be valuable for you? You may meet a wonderful therapist who helps you unravel all of the issues of your childhood and gets you on a path to living healthy – that is a great thing. You may also meet a coach who motivates you to outline a plan to creating lasting, sustainable changes in your life so that your childhood issues are exactly where they should be…in your past. If you really want to make a difference in your life, find a coach, like myself, who has the insight of a therapist and the drive of a coach. Either choice you make, it will change your life.
Sara