Are you looking for a way to make positive changes in your life? If so, you may be considering either coaching or counseling. But what is the difference between the two? Both counseling and coaching provide solutions to help you reach the life you want to live. While some say that counselors work on the “why” of the problem, coaches focus on “how to get out of the problem”. Counselors analyze the past, while coaches look to the future. Coaches will make recommendations and help you think of solutions and strategies to change things in your life.
However, they will always ensure that the solutions they propose are congruent with the client's belief system, circumstances, and personality. Counseling is based on a clinical approach and its goal is to resolve old aches and pains and improve emotional states. Counseling focuses on the past, present, and future, while coaching only focuses on the present and future. As a counselor, you help your patient overcome difficulties so that they can find freedom. If you're looking for a coach, make sure they've received at least basic training in coaching in an accredited training program, such as the ICF or the BCC. When it comes to training required for counseling and training professions, there are clear differences.
Most people go to a coach or therapist when they feel that they are struggling to get traction on their own. Coaches are not required to have any specific training or education. If you think you can help people achieve their future goals, a degree in life coaching may be the right choice for you. To make sure that you're working with a highly qualified professional with the knowledge and experience needed to help you grow, look for a qualified therapist with a professional degree in counseling who has also done postgraduate training as a personal trainer. Coaches who have received formal training as coaches know that they should not try to help anyone who has emotional problems or who is dealing with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, or other recognized mental health issues. Whether it's creating vulnerability or trust in relationships, increasing emotional intelligence, or simply “letting go” in one area or another of life, coaching can help create and maintain motivation for change, explore obstacles to change, and create a plan for moving forward.
Whether your preferred language is English, Spanish or French, your results-oriented training approach will move you forward. If you're not quite sure if coaching or therapy would be more useful for your personal growth work, that's OK. In addition, coaches are not subject to the same guidelines regarding client confidentiality or professional boundaries. However, coaching training consists of several weekends of in-person training along with online modules. In conclusion, it is important to understand the differences between coaching and counseling before making a decision about which one is right for you. Coaching focuses on helping individuals reach their goals by providing guidance and support while counseling focuses on resolving past issues and improving emotional states.
Both can be beneficial depending on your needs.
