DISTICTIONS BETWEEN COACHING AND THERAPY

I have often been asked by potential coaching clients to explain the difference between coaching and therapy. So here is my explanation and most of it is taken from the work by Patrick Williams titled The Continuing Debate: Therapy or Coaching? What Every Coach Must Know.

Therapy is a medical and clinical model and relies on diagnosis. Deals with identifiable dysfunctions in a person and is about fixing the past. It deals mostly with a person’s past and trauma, and seeks healing. The questions always are “Why.” Therapy helps patients resolve old pain. Therapy focuses on processes and feelings, and assumes emotions are a symptom of something wrong. The therapist diagnoses and then offers professional expertise and guidelines to provide a path to healing. Therapy style is one of patient nurturing, evocative, indirect, cathartic and parenting. Progress is often slow and painful. The therapist is responsible for both the process and outcomes.

Coaching is a learning and developmental model focusing on attainable goals and possibilities. It deals with a healthy client desiring a better situation. Coaching is about understanding the past as a context for the future. It deals with a person’s present and seeks to help them design and act on behalf of a more desirable future. The questions asked are: How and What. Coaching helps clients learn new skills and tools to build a more satisfying and successful future and focuses on goals. The coach offers perspective and helps the client discover their own answers. Coaching focuses on actions and outcomes and assumes emotions are natural and normalizes them. The coach stands with the client and helps her or him identify challenges, then partners to turn challenges into victories, holding the client accountable to reach desired goals. The coaching style acts as a catalyst to challenge and is direct and uses straight talk and accountability. Growth and progress are often rapid and usually enjoyable. The coach is responsible for the process and the client is responsible for the outcomes.

Coaching today embodies the superior purpose of psychology. It is not just about pathology, diagnosis and treatment of human facilities. It is, more importantly, the study of human potential and possibility. Since we are by nature infinite and unlimited, all things are possible. The purpose of coaching is not to repair what has been damaged but to cultivate the genius that resides within the human mind and the generosity that resides within the human spirit. Most of us have a story that we have created about ourselves that is so small compared to our potential it is ridiculous. In A Course in Miracles, it says we have been given the wings of an eagle. Is the story you keep telling yourself the one you want? If not, when would now be a good time to do something about it?

Coaching is about empowering people and helping them discover what they want and what they can do, instead of focusing on what is wrong and what they can’t do. By doing this coaching improves dramatically the overall mental health and the quality of life, both personally and professionally. Which would you rather do, focus on the past and what went wrong, or focus on your strengths and write and create a future that is filled with purpose, passion, financial success, love and excitement? Today can be the first day of the rest of your exciting life if you choose it to be. Why wait?

Therapy is about recovering and uncovering, while coaching is about discovery. It is about discovering the greatness that lies within each human being and the possibilities which are limitless. What do you really want?

My company, Practical Empowerment LLC, Marty McEvoy - Practical Empowerment offers its coaching clients a multi-dimensional process, that is able to be put into practice and is workable, and that shows people how to gain power and control over their lives, so they can create and have what they really want. What do you really want? What about you income? What about your relationships? How about your health or your business?

You tell me what you want and I will show you how to get it. Call me today at 608-637-6898 or write me at marty@martymcevoy.com