The Difference Between Coaching and Counseling
We’re often asked what the difference between coaching and therapy is.
While coaching and therapy do have some similarities, their differences are important to know, recognize, and understand. Both are important and provide guidance, evaluation, and support in helping you to reach your full potential.
Let’s talk about therapy first.
What is Counseling?
Counseling or Therapy is provided by licensed professionals. Therapists are formally educated and licensed by a professional licensing board which identify minimum educational and experiential requirements. The licensing board specifies:
- What the professional therapist is competent to provide
- The expected standard of behavior for therapists and counselors that must be adhered to
- Minimum number of educational credits per year (CEUs) which need to be maintained each year
- Therapists must reapply for licensure every two years.
- The geographical area in which a therapist may practice. So, for therapists licensed through New Jersey, they may only treat residents of New Jersey.
Therapists Treat Mental Health Disorders
Counselors or therapists treat mental health disorders. They help create self-understanding, provide support, and are focused on healing wounds that are usually in the past and providing relief to symptoms of distress.
Therapists can also provide a clinical diagnosis required in order to be reimbursed by insurance. Therapy is a process that lasts until the client is either free from or able to handle distress in a healthy way, also known as stable.
In simpler terms, therapists focus on the “why” while coaches focus on the “how.”
While My Therapy Connection™ is considered an “Out of Network” Provider, some insurance companies-namely Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) provide reimbursement to clients for therapy.
What is Coaching?
Coaching is provided by a trained professional. They can be certified, but this is not a strict requirement. Coaches are usually highly specialized and provide experience-based advice. Their goal is to move a person from stable to potential.
A useful way to look at the difference between coaching and counseling is while therapy is heavily focused on the past, coaching is focused on the present day and future goals.
Coaching is very action oriented and forward based, provides direction and is solution focused. Coaches are usually very active and energetic in the process and eager to help you reach what’s next. Due to ethical boundaries, counselors tend to restrict contact to the time spent in therapy sessions unless there is an emergency. Coaches are able to keep in more frequent contact day-to-day.
Coaches are not restricted to a particular geographic location, have no licensing or certification requirements, and operate within the scope of their preferred practice.
Coaching Now Offered at my Therapy Connection™
The goal of My Therapy Connection™ has always been to serve our clients by offering comfort, hope and healing – often during life’s most trying circumstances. Our amazing therapists are extremely competent and empathetic and steer clients toward healing, wholeness and connection.
While there is a big difference between coaching and counseling, there is such great synergy between therapy and coaching at My Therapy Connection™ because we weren’t meant to just survive – we were meant to thrive. We are meant to learn, connect, and explore our gifts and passions, so we can create lives of beauty, meaning and fulfilment.
And this is what we want for our clients and ourselves.
It’s Your time To Thrive
While coaches at My Therapy Connection™ are encouraged to adhere to the rules of confidentiality that our therapists honor, they are not legally required to do so. Our coaches have been selected because of their proven strategies of success, their innate desire to help people, and they have demonstrated a willingness and ability to engage in on-going independent learning to best help their clients.
It is worth mentioning that coaching is not reimbursed by insurance and is very much open ended. You determine the length of coaching you desire with your coach, according to your goals and needs. These can be reassessed with new personal objectives established, once you have achieved your initial goals.
Coaches only see clients who are deemed stable. Coaches do not treat acute mental health conditions and, at My Therapy Connection™, if there is any evidence that you need a more clinical approach to reaching your goals, your coach will recommend you see a licensed therapist.
Now that you understand the difference between coaching and counseling, Contact Us if you’re interested in exploring your options.