Coaching vs therapy

Coaching and therapy may be considered similar, but they are not the same thing. Each focus on helping one to discover solutions on their own. There are many different types of therapy, some of which may be, in content, quite similar to life coaching. And in fact, NLP is frequently used in a coaching context to assist clients with deep rooted issues. Some kinds of therapy, such as those aimed at dealing with a phobia, tend to be problem-focused. Treatment ceases when the symptoms disappear or become manageable for the client. Analysis is another type of therapy. It is long term, and works at uncovering the roots of issues—understanding the client's emotional history and possible past psychological trauma—in order to enable the client to move forward. Thus, there are a wide variety of therapeutic options, ranging from quick and narrowly focused to long and broad-scoped and everything in between, but all are regulated.

Coaches come from many different professional backgrounds, and mental health professionals are transitioning into coaching. There are coaches training programs that specialize in working with clinicians. Often, these clinician coaches maintain their licensure status as mental health providers, yet establish clear boundaries and expectations with either their counselling or coaching clients as to what the nature of their work together will (and will not) be.

The evidenced-based coaching movement supports the use of coaching techniques based on proven concepts in clinical psychology/counselling. Coaching techniques, like based on the work of Alfred Adler, Gestalt Coaching is based on Gestalt psychology and Reality Coaching is based on the work of William Glasser, are emerging based on traditional counselling approaches.