Life Coach vs Therapist: What is the Difference?
You’ve likely heard of life coaches and therapists, but do you know the differences between the two? Would you know which to choose should you need support? With levels of anxiety, depression, and mental health issues rising, people are looking for support and guidance to help them to make sense of their experiences. Whether it’s a sense of feeling lost or something deeper that needs addressing, therapy and life coaching could help you to transform your life.
Life coaching and therapy are often easily confused, so if you are unsure whether you are looking for therapy sessions, also known as counselling, or coaching services, read on to discover the differences and what each modality offers.
What is a life coach?
Life coaches work with people who are looking to move past life challenges and find more direction and motivation. Life coaching focuses on empowering you to take control of your life and break away from your comfort zone. A coach offers you the opportunity to create action plans, which will help you to become more accountable and achieve your life goals. Whilst coaching sessions may touch on the past, especially if you are feeling held back by limiting beliefs, coaches that do not have the relevant training aren’t always equipped to help with past trauma. Instead, coaching focuses on looking ahead to the future and setting an action plan that begins in the present moment.
What is a therapist?
The therapist focuses on past traumas and how they affect your life today. This safe space is ideal for treating mental illness and mental health conditions, which require a more personalised approach in order to get to the root cause. A therapist may use Cognitive behavioural therapy (cbt), which is a well-known talking therapy that is often used to explore the relationship between the mind and our behavioural patterns.
Therapy sessions are generally guided by the client, with a therapist taking a listening approach to allow space for the client’s introspection. These sessions are particularly good for supporting a person in navigating their emotions and processing and making sense of the things that they are feeling.
Buick Hamblin, counsellor and psychotherapist, says that "therapy is a journey of self-discovery and healing, a safe harbour where one can unpack their burdens, understand their feelings, and chart a course towards a healthier, happier life."
What are the differences between a life coach and a therapist?
Both terms are used widely, but many people don’t actually understand the difference between a life coach and a therapist. Whilst coaching and therapy both help clients to make positive changes in their life, life coaches are not therapists and are not able to directly treat conditions caused by past traumas, such as anxiety. Good coaches will advise a client when they require the safe space of therapy as a base treatment before they are able to commit to working with a life coach. People seeking to be challenged, and fulfil their potential by moving past the limitations of their minds, will benefit greatly from life coaching.
A therapist, on the other hand, is an expert who can help a person understand their trauma and mental health challenges. Therapy focuses on the deep introspection needed to understand how the past may be stopping a person from moving forwards. When it comes to thinking about a therapist vs life coach, it’s important to look at your particular needs before deciding which route will suit you. Here are the main differences:
| Life Coach | Therapist |
| Guided by the coach | Guided by the client |
| Empowers | Supports |
| Focuses on the future | Focuses on the past |
| Works with goals | Works with trauma |
| Focused questions | Open-ended questions |
| Helps you to break through limiting beliefs | Works with a specific outcome in mind |
| Short-term - wants to empower you to coach yourself | Long-term commitment |
When to seek out a life coach or a therapist
When considering life coaching vs therapy, it’s important to think about your individual needs. You might have specific trauma that needs to be addressed via therapy, cbt or counselling, which can help to get you in a good place before considering life coaching. Therapy is also effective if there is something in particular that you are looking to process and move past, especially when it’s affecting your mental health and day-to-day life.
If you’re feeling stuck or limited by your own beliefs, then a life coach can help you to take action towards your future goals. Coaching is a great tool to help you have more accountability in life and empower you to make the changes necessary for you to fulfil your fullest potential in life.
It doesn’t always need to be a choice between therapist vs coach. In some circumstances, although there is a difference between a life coach and a therapist in their individual approaches, some people find it useful to work with both experts at the same time to achieve the right balance.
How Therapists and Life Coaches can support you on your spiritual journey
Whether you are looking for support with trauma and emotions or are seeking guidance and accountability for moving towards a more purposeful life, spiritual coaching and/or spiritual therapy will help you to get to the root cause of the things that are holding you back. Each modality works by giving you the space to delve deep and explore your experiences from a higher, more spiritual perspective. Both will offer you the opportunity to transform your life by connecting back to the deepest parts of yourself.
Get in touch today to discuss which option might suit you better and to book your free 30 minute consultation.