Coaching is NOT psychotherapy. It cannot replace psychiatric or psychotherapeutic intervention.
That being said, the essential difference is this – psychotherapy meets you where you are now and looks back and unpacks to move forward; coaching, presuming you are medically stable (not in imminent danger), meets you where you are now and sends you on the way to where you are going.
| COACHING | PSYCHOTHERAPY |
| Co-active; peer-basis | Hierarchical; expert/client |
| Trained to work with clients that are emotionally and psychologically stable or in a recovery state; coach aims to view client from a holistic perspective | Trained to work with clients that are emotionally and psychologically unwell; therapist aims to diagnose and treat |
| Solution-oriented | Problem-oriented |
| Focuses on the present and future | Focuses on dealing with the past |
| Driven by the conscious mind, goals and taking action | Driven by the unconscious mind and insight into unresolved issues and feelings |
| Alliance developed by coach and client working together | Treatment plan designed by therapist |
| Works toward a higher level of functioning | Works to achieve understanding and emotional healing |
| Short-term, time-bound, results-based and focuses on exploring solutions | Long-term, open-ended, explores the root of problems and offers explanation |
| Asks, “Where would you like to be and how can you get there?” | Asks, “How did that make you feel?” |
| Explores actions that manifest high self-esteem | Explores genesis of behaviours that create low self-esteem |
| Mainly works with external issues | Mainly works with internal issues |
| Done over the phone, internet or in person | Done in an office setting |
Coaching picks up from where psychotherapy leaves off. Clients bring their new insights and stability into a world that may not accommodate their needs and coaching mitigates this gap. It supports people in applying insights gained from psychotherapy and self-work into their daily lives, managing everyday obstacles that may be interfering with their ability to fully participate in, and benefit from, the therapeutic process.
