Skills gained
The skills you aim to develop can guide you in choosing between a life coach and a therapist, as both professionals focus on skill-building.
When to choose a life coach: Life coaches can help you foster skills that drive personal and professional growth. Common skills you might gain after working with a life coach include:
- Goal-setting and strategic planning
- Time management
- Productivity
- Communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Enhanced leadership
- Team building
- Improved self-confidence
- Motivation
- Better decision-making
- Problem-solving
When to choose a therapist: A good therapist will help you develop skills to manage mental health challenges or emotional distress, highlighting the benefits of therapy. If you’re looking for overall psychological well-being, the skills you gain in therapy can include:
- Emotional regulation
- Resilience
- Stress management strategies
- Better self-awareness
- Ability to use introspection for growth
- Building healthy relationships
- Setting boundaries
- Using mindfulness and relaxation techniques effectively
- Learning to identify and change unhealthy and unhelpful thought and behavior patterns
Professional training
The amount of professional training a life coach vs. therapist has will vary. Once you understand the differences, your decision on who to work with can become clearer.
When to choose a life coach: Most life coaches undergo training that focuses on helping people seek personal development and reach their goals. A life coach typically goes through practical coaching and methodology training that might include:
- Completing certification programs from accredited organizations
- Taking goal-setting and motivational technique courses
- Enhancing communication skills for effectiveness
- Specializing in career, executive, or wellness coaching training
When to choose a therapist: Because therapists undergo extensive training in treating mental health, they’re equipped to help you address even complex emotional or psychological issues.
Using evidence-based interventions and their deep understanding of mental health, therapists can help you address mental health challenges effectively and efficiently. Therapist’s qualifications generally include:
- Advanced degrees in psychology, counseling, social work, or psychiatry (LMHC, MA, MSc, LPC, LCSW-S, LCSW-R, BC-TMH, DSW, PsyD)
- Clinical training
- Supervised practice in diagnosing and treatment
- Licensure
- Continuing education that ensures professional standards are maintained
- Specialized training in specific therapeutic modalities and types of therapy
Structure & framework
A life coach or therapist’s structure and framework can influence your experience and treatment outcome. Knowing what to expect from each engagement can help determine who you’d be most comfortable working with.
When to choose a life coach: Life coaching can be characterized by a structured, goal-oriented framework. Their approach might be ideal if you thrive on setting and achieving goals. You also might enjoy the life coach interaction if you do better with an organized, results-driven framework. Key elements of working with a life coach could include:
- Action plans that offer clear and direct roadmaps to achieving your goals
- Regular check-ins and sessions that focus on the progress you’re making and address obstacles you’re facing
- Accountability on how committed you are to the process
- Short-term focus that offers tangible, quick results
When to choose a therapist: Therapy is a flexible, process-oriented framework. Key elements of structure you should expect when working with a therapist include:
- Exploration of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
- Exercises to guide self-discovery
- An adaptive pace suited to your comfort level
- Therapeutic techniques tailored to your mental health needs and conditions
- Possible long-term engagement that helps address deep-seated issues and focuses on long-term change
Duration & frequency
When deciding between a life coach and a therapist, it’s important to understand the differences in the duration and frequency of sessions to find the best fit for your lifestyle and needs.
Life coaching:
- Duration: Typically involves shorter engagements, ranging from a few weeks to a few months.
- Frequency: Sessions are usually more frequent, often weekly or biweekly, to maintain momentum towards achieving goals.
- Flexibility: Scheduling is often more flexible, accommodating busy or fluctuating schedules.
Therapy:
- Duration: Generally involves longer-term engagements, which can last several months to years, depending on the complexity of issues.
- Frequency: The frequency of sessions may vary, often starting weekly and potentially decreasing as progress is made.
- Depth: Sessions may be longer and more in-depth, focusing on exploring and resolving underlying issues.
