What’s the Difference Between Therapy and Coaching?

Physical Health as a guide

In my own practice, I often use physical health as a metaphor to teach my clients. Metaphors use existing, familiar frameworks to teach new, unfamiliar frameworks faster.

You have a physical body that you’re familiar with. You use it all the time. When you consider physical health, when would you go to a coach? And when would you go to a therapist? What you’ll come to find is that a therapist works on rehabilitation. And a coach works on building skill sets.

In tennis, for example, you would go to a coach to learn the skill set of being a tennis player - racquet swings, footwork, equipment, rules, etc. But if you get hurt and it affects how you play tennis, you should go see a physical therapist to rehabilitate your range of motion.

Can a physical therapist also be a tennis coach? Of course. Can a psychotherapist also be a coach? Absolutely.

Mental Health application

Consider when you might need a therapist or a coach for mental health. After all, they are very different practices, as displayed in the physical health metaphor. But today the practice of mental health seems to get lumped into a catch-all of therapy. This is because mental health isn’t as understood as physical health is today.

Similar to your physical body, you have a mind and you have emotions that you use and experience every day. So, when should you go to a therapist or a coach? In other words, what do you need to rehabilitate, and what skills do you need to learn? Both mentally and emotionally.

For your consideration

What are you wanting to work on? What beliefs from the past are influencing your view of yourself and your future? What goals do you have for yourself? Are there skills that could help you in your current roles? What roles would you like to be in that you are not?