A widespread misunderstanding is that coaching and counseling are the same thing, while they are not. Therapy is designed to assist patients in recovering from emotional or psychological illnesses like sadness or anxiety. Coaching, on the other hand, is designed to assist ordinary, healthy people in achieving personal goals such as increased happiness, weight loss, and improved work-life balance, among other things.
A short side-by-side comparison of coaching vs. treatment is shown in the table below.
Coaching and Therapy
| Coaching | Therapy |
| Client is emotionally and psychologically healthy | Client is emotionally unwell and in needs healing |
| Focuses on the present and future | Focuses on dealing with the past |
| Driven by goals and taking action | Driven by unresolved issues and feelings |
| Works toward a higher level of functioning | Works to achieve understanding and emotional healing |
| Results-based and focuses on exploring solutions | Explores the root of problems and offers explanation |
| Asks, “Where would you like to be and how can you get there?” | Asks, “How did that make you feel?” |
| Acts on information | Absorbs information |
| Done over the phone, internet or in person | Done in an office setting |
| Coach and client collaborate on solutions | Therapist is the ‘expert’ |
| Contact between sessions expected (accountability and wins) | Contact between sessions for crisis and difficulties only |
