What is the difference between a therapist and a coach?
This is something that a good coach makes abundantly clear in the contracting stage of a coach-coachee relationship. Expressed simply, the contract makes clear what coaching is and is not.
Coaching is a partnership between you and me. I will help you to use your strengths to take you to a higher level of performance. Coaching requires collaboration, honesty, and effort on your part to manifest the desired outcomes. I can guide you, ask pointed questions that provoke introspection, and support you in making personal changes that help you deal more effectively with challenges or changes in direction. Mentoring is more directive. As a former teacher and instructor, I am skilled in teaching and directing you to develop skills in specific areas if required. As a trained and accredited NLP coach, I can use certain techniques to help change your negative or limiting assumptions and utilise your strengths to effect change.
NLP is just one type of coaching. A good coach is skilled in many areas of coaching, skillfully transitioning between approaches based on the needs of the client. They know that one size does not fit all.
Coaching often highlights the need for a change in direction. It does not need to be a dramatic change. Quite the opposite. Change is best achieved by small incremental improvements, carried out consistently. (see my blog on Ikigai and Kaizen)
Coaching is not therapy. Therapy assumes something is broken and seeks to rectify problems. It is based on diagnostic processes and is used to treat things like PTSD, depression and addiction to name just a few. Psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists can help you here, either through medicinal or mental therapy, or a combination of both.
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