Meditation, Thought Patterns, Yoga

Life Coach vs. Therapy

We often find ourselves in times of despair, stress, frustration with the direction our lives are falling in. Due to this feeling growing in popularity, resources to help you battle these thoughts and behaviors continue to be readily available. Do you know what to expect from a life coach vs therapy?

Knowing the differences between the different services available can help you make the best decision for your situation. Going through pains in your life is nothing to be ashamed of and certainly not something you should neglect help with. 

Many people seek the help of a life coach or therapist in times of need. Although they both intend to help others make positive changes in their life, they each use different techniques and processes in order to reach results. 

What’s The Difference?

A therapist is a health professional committed to diagnosing negative behaviors, beliefs, feelings, and actions. Therapy focuses on past challenges and traumas that might’ve led to the individual feeling or acting this way. From there, the therapist will perform different exercises to help change those habits. 

Therapy is normally a longer process that involves a series of tests designed to diagnose the patient. 

On the other hand, a life coach is a non-health professional that focuses on fixing the “here and now” to begin improving an individual’s future. Through identifying goals and creating action plans to receive results, a life coach can help an individual regain control of their life. Less time is spent on the past, with more concentration on introducing new habits to promote a healthier life. 

A life coach can be with a patient short-term or long-term and don’t follow regular session visits like a therapist. Life coaches aim to help you better manage and exceed your goals. 

Which One Should I See?

Imagine yourself standing at the bottom of a mountain preparing to climb it. If you were given the option of having a guide to help you reach the top or a doctor, which one would you choose? 

In order to start the climb at all, you’ll need to be in good health. If you feel that you would put your health in danger by making that climb, then you’ll probably want to have a doctor by your side. On the flip side, some people are ready for the challenge and can make the climb, but need some help with strategy and planning — a guide would be best.

The doctor (therapist) can get you healthy enough to start that climb. The guide (life coach) can help you reach the summit. 

In other words, a life coach is for the mentally-well that need direction. A therapist is for the mentally-ill that need to rewire their habits.

To further clarify, here’s what a life coach will be able to assist you with:

  • Identifying and achieving goals
  • Creating plans of action
  • Improving communication skills
  • Prioritizing financials
  • A healthy balance between work/life
  • Growth and development

As far as a therapist goes, they can help you with:

  • Confronting past traumas and overcome them
  • Discovering why your relationships with others are destructive
  • Combating anxiety and depression
  • Get through difficult times like divorce, death

Life coaches and therapists don’t follow the same line of work, but they often treat the same kind of issues. Being aware of the differences between the two can assure you’re receiving the help you need to live a more meaningful life. 

Don’t hesitate to give your body and mind the help it craves, we all need it sometimes.