Ultimate Guide to Life Coaches vs. Therapists

Because you just want someone to help you figure out wtf is going on in life.

Learn the Differences and Choose What's Right for You

Anyone who is active on social media will have seen others talking about their therapist, life coach, or the recent self-help tidbit they gained from someone’s post. It is no surprise that people are more aware of their own mental well-being and are wanting to seek support to navigate challenges they might be facing to enhance their lives. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what type of help you may need. Two popular ways to get support are through life coaching and/or therapy. 

As both a life coach and a therapist I know the dynamics of each and share my insights about each route to personal development below. While both aim to help individuals improve their lives, they differ in their approaches, methods, and goals. Once you better understand their differences the easier it will be to choose what kind of support you need on your journey. 

Key Definitions

Life Coaching: Involves helping individuals to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaches guide clients in developing skills and strategies to achieve specific goals usually within a set timeframe. Life coaches do not provide a diagnosis of mental health conditions or utilize a treatment plan and stick to creating goal-setting frameworks. 

Therapy: An abbreviation for psychotherapy, therapy is a clinical-based approach that provides mental health care and diagnosis to patients/clients. Therapists generally use diagnosis criteria to treat mental health disorders (a condition that affects someone’s mood, thinking, and behavior). Therapists assess for and provide treatment for conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar, schizophrenia, and more.  

Life Coaches vs. Therapists: What Does Each Do?

Life Coaching: Empowering Personal Growth

Life coaching aims to help people set and achieve specific goals. Coaches work with clients to identify their needs, strengths, values, and aspirations. They serve as partners in the client's journey, providing accountability, encouragement, and practical strategies to overcome obstacles and make positive changes in their lives. Life coaching sessions typically involve goal-setting and action planning aimed to help you grow with effective tools like journaling, grounding techniques, mindset shifts, and skill-building exercises. The biggest difference is that life coaches primarily focus on the present and future, and spend less time on past life hardships and mental disorders disrupting your life.

Therapy: Healing and Self-Discovery

Therapy focuses on addressing and healing psychological issues, emotional challenges, and unresolved trauma. Therapists generally use techniques based on research to help individuals understand and overcome their struggles. Sessions involve exploring the root causes of a client’s difficulties, and look into their past experiences, thought patterns, and emotions to identify the underlying issues to help healing. In therapy clients develop coping skills, process uncomfortable emotions, and improve self-awareness to heal their past and manage life more effectively. 

Both therapy and life coaching aim to help a person grow, change, and understand themselves better. Therapy focuses on symptom relief and healing. Life coaching focuses on goal-setting and skill building for growth. All therapists and life coaches should provide a safe and non-judgmental space for clients to express what their lives are like, what it means to them on their journey towards crafting the life they desire.

Goals: Action-Oriented vs. Emotionally Focused

Coaching goals are typically action-oriented and solution-focused. Clients work with coaches to identify specific objectives and develop strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve success. 

Therapy goals often center around emotional processing, healing, and self-discovery. Therapists help clients explore underlying emotions, gain insight into their behaviors, and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Therapy can also incorporate the same approach to goals as life coaching.

Licenses, Certification, and Specialties

Coaches: Have no licensing requirement. Because they do not diagnose and treat mental health conditions, life coaches are allowed to work with any person they want. There is also no education or training requirement to be a life coach. Some coaches do obtain certification through various programs, but there currently is no governing body or standard of education across programs. There are certification programs like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) where someone can become an associate, professional, or master certified coach or CCE which provides education for a board certified coach. Coaches will often specialize in specific areas like diet, finances, or professional growth. 

Therapists: Are state-licensed, meaning they have to meet an education, training, and exam requirements before they can obtain a license. Each state has different requirements for therapists and therapists can only work with clients who live in the state they are licensed in. A therapist licensed in California cannot see a client who lives in New York because each state has different laws and ethical considerations surrounding keeping the client's mental health safe. Therapists will have a Master’s degree or higher. Therapists also will specialize in specific areas like coaches, but they will be geared towards a mental health diagnosis like depression, anxiety, substance use, etc. 

When to See a Therapist

Therapy may be beneficial if you are experiencing:

• Depression, anxiety, or PTSD that is affecting daily living

• Emotional distress or unresolved trauma

• Persistent and/or intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or feeling out of control

• Suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviors

• Difficulty concentrating, sleeping, or staying asleep

• Difficulty caring for yourself including: eating, hygiene, sleeping 

• Substance misuse 

• Extreme mood swings

• Excessive anger or hostility

• Feeling detached from reality, self, or world around you

• Paranoia or hallucinations 

• Engaging in high-risk behaviors

• Have difficulty regulating emotions and want help

• Want to understand the ‘why’ behind the thoughts, behaviors, and patterns you have 

  
  

When to See a Coach

Coaching may be a good fit if you: 

• Have goals but need guidance on how to achieve them

• Want to improve specific skills or areas of your life, such as career advancement, leadership development, or relationship building 

• Feel stuck or uncertain about your direction and need support clarifying your objectives

• Are committed to taking action and making positive changes in your life

Can Therapists Be Coaches?

Yes, they can! The education and training of a therapist fits well with helping clients look to their future and plan. Therapists who are life coaches do have the ethical responsibility to not provide therapy services during life coaching. This means therapists/life coaches should not be diagnosing or treating mental health conditions when therapy services would be the appropriate level of care. As a general rule of thumb, a therapist who is a life coach should keep both therapy and life coaching services separate. 

Can You Work with Both a Therapist and Coach?

You can work with both a therapist and a coach at the same time. Keep in mind therapy typically has you dive into complex emotions. Adding life coaching could be an overload on self-help and healing. Ask your therapist and/or life coach what they think. As much as we all want our journey in bettering ourselves to be quick and easy, that is not always the most helpful thing for us. Consistency is the key, but at a pace that works for you without feeling overwhelmed. 

Costs 

Costs associated with life coaching and therapy will vary from provider to provider. 

Life coaches cannot contract with insurance companies, so they do not accept insurance. Coaching can be shorter in how long you attend, so the overall cost could be lower if you are paying cash. 

Therapists can accept health insurance, but only if they choose to be contracted with an insurance company. Because you may attend therapy for a longer period of time, paying cash could cost more than life coaching. If you are utilizing insurance, it could be cheaper. 

If you are paying cash, therapists must provide a Good Faith Estimate. Life coaches do not need to.

Choosing the Right Path for You

The life coaches vs. therapists debate feels like this ultimate showdown. When deciding between life coaching and therapy, consider your unique needs, goals, and preferences. Here are some factors to keep in mind:

Nature of the Problem: If you're struggling with specific goals, such as advancing in your career, improving your relationships, or achieving a healthier lifestyle, life coaching may be the right choice. However, if you're dealing with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, trauma, or addiction, therapy is more appropriate.

Time Frame: Life coaching is often more goal-oriented and short-term, typically ranging from a few months to a year. Therapy, on the other hand, may be more open-ended and vary in duration based on the complexity of the issues being addressed.

Approach: Consider whether you prefer a more directive approach, where the focus is on setting goals and taking action steps (life coaching), or a more exploratory approach, where the emphasis is on understanding underlying emotions and patterns (therapy).

Credentials: Whichever professional you choose should have appropriate qualifications, training, and experience. Life coaches may have certifications from coaching organizations, while therapists must be licensed mental health professionals in their state.

Compatibility: The biggest consideration is to trust your instincts and choose a professional with whom you feel comfortable and connected. Progress and growth stems from liking who you are working with and believing they can help. 

Here are some questions to help you make the right choice:

• What issues or challenges do you want to address?

• Are you seeking emotional healing (t), or do you need help setting and achieving specific goals (c)? Both will help with self-discovery

• Do you prefer a structured approach focused on action and results (c), or do you prefer open-ended exploration and reflection (t)?

• Do you have insurance coverage that may offset the cost of therapy, or are you willing to pay out of pocket for coaching services?

• Are you interested in short-term solutions (c) or long-term emotional healing (t)?

• Do they seem knowledgeable in what I need help with?

• Do I like them? If you got an “eh” or “ick” vibe, find someone else.

Conclusion

Both life coaching and therapy offer valuable support and guidance for individuals wanting to improve themselves and overcome challenges. Neither option is better than the other because at the end of the day, both professions are dedicated to helping individuals lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Whether you choose life coaching or therapy depends on your specific needs, goals, and preferences. Take the time to explore your options, consider your needs, and find the right fit for you.

Remember, you can contact me if you don’t know exactly what kind of support you may need. It's all about finding the support that feels good and empowers you to thrive.