Life Coach and Therapeutic Coach – What’s the difference?

Life coaching and therapeutic coaching are both forms of guidance and support, but they have distinct focuses and methodologies. Here’s a breakdown of the differences between the two:

Life Coaching:

• Goal-Oriented: Life coaching is centered around setting and achieving personal or professional goals. It involves helping clients identify what they want to accomplish and creating a plan to get there.
• Focus on the Future: Life coaches generally concentrate on a client’s future aspirations and how to create a roadmap to reach them.
• Motivation and Accountability: Life coaches often use techniques to motivate clients and hold them accountable for their progress.
• Skill Development: They may help clients develop specific skills like time management, communication, or leadership.
• No Clinical Diagnosis: Life coaches do not typically work with clients who have significant mental health issues or diagnoses. They are not licensed to diagnose or treat psychological disorders.

Therapeutic Coaching:

• Deeper Emotional Work: Therapeutic coaching involves exploring deeper emotional issues and addressing underlying patterns or beliefs that might be holding clients back.
• Focus on Personal Growth and Healing: While still goal-oriented, therapeutic coaching may involve elements of therapy, focusing on personal growth, self-awareness, and healing.
• Integration of Therapy Techniques: Therapeutic coaching might integrate techniques from various therapeutic modalities, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), gestalt therapy, or mindfulness practices.
• Overlap with Therapy: There can be some overlap with traditional therapy, but therapeutic coaching generally retains a coaching perspective, focusing on helping clients move forward in an empowering way rather than rehashing or delving too deeply into past trauma or significant psychological issues.

In summary, life coaching is more about goal-setting and future planning, while therapeutic coaching encompasses some elements of therapy, allowing for deeper emotional exploration and personal growth. If someone is experiencing significant mental health issues, traditional therapy with a licensed professional is typically recommended. However, if they’re seeking guidance for personal or professional development without therapeutic depth, life coaching may be a good fit.