FAQ #1: What is the difference between therapy and coaching?
This question is my most commonly asked, and for good reason. Being a licensed psychotherapist AND a certified coach, I can take a sassy lil’ leap right on to my soap box around this topic but I’ll try and get straight to the point cause I know my mom’s ain’t got time for that. Let’s start with qualifications and then I’ll go on to differences in practice.
Training:
A psychotherapist is a highly-trained professional with postbaccalaureate degree in fields such as social work, psychology, counseling, psychiatry, etc. These respective fields are highly-regulated and the practitioner must hold a current license in their field of practice.
Coaching is, unfortunately, an UNregulated field. Many people call themselves coaches, even when they are practicing in other areas such as mentoring, consulting, teaching or even counseling (confusing, much?)! When looking to hire a coach, it is extremely important that you find a person who is clear about their work and who also is certified by the ICF (International Coach Federation) and has attended a reputable coach training program approved by the ICF .
What is a therapist?
Psychotherapists use many different theoretical approaches to talk therapy to treat mental health issues and to help clients cope with emotional challenges and alter negative behavior patterns. Trained to diagnose psychiatric conditions, therapists often focus on solving the “presenting problem”. Many find progress slow and gradual. Often, high-functioning people and many without diagnosable mental health conditions use therapy and develop highly valuable insight. However, therapy, at its core, was designed to move someone from “dysfunctional” to functional”.
What is a coach?
Before I answer that, let me tell you what a coach is NOT. A coach is not an advice-giver. They should never tell a client what they need and how to get it done. A coach is not an expert in your life. You are the expert in your OWN life and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This is the biggest misconception I encounter.
As a coach, my job is to lead a process of discovery with my moms. We focus, not on problems, but on solutions, and progress often happens quickly. I am trained to ask powerful questions and help you to expand your thought processes. We explore values and passions and uncover who you truly are as an individual. With that increased awareness, we do the work to reconnect to that woman and find a more balanced, fulfilling and RAD life. We discover blocks that are keeping you stuck. By asking questions, we design actionable steps and I help hold you accountable from week-to-week. By design, coaching moves someone from “functional” to “optimal”.
Bonus question: Do you ever use psychotherapy methods in your coaching practice?
Here’s where it gets blurry. With over 15 years combined therapy and coaching experience, I have developed a powerful intuition which leads me to move in and out of my roles as coach and therapist depending on where my clients are in that particular moment. I never practice coaching when I client is in need of therapy; however, I am able to heavily draw from my experience and training as a therapist if the need temporarily arises. I have learned, from experience, that processing a challenge deeply and developing valuable insight often opens up the perfect opportunity to move forward and make very powerful changes. This unique empathy and intuition with the broad skill set to back it up, has helped countless rad moms find her balance and own her joy.
Therapy is designed to move someone from “dysfunctional to functional”
Coaching is designed to move someone from “functional to optimal”.
Please email kacey@theradmom.com or call 516-996-6079 if you are curious as to which service is right for you.
