Counselor vs. Coach: What is the Difference?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COUNSELOR AND A COACH?

Counseling addresses Past & Present mental health issues. Coaching Set Goals for Present & Future Life.

Many people ask this question as they seek help in life. "Do I need a counselor, or do I need a life coach?"

Once we understand the difference, it is much easier to seek the type of care or support we want or need.

I liken the difference to going to physical therapy versus going to the gym. Both help us grow stronger. One is from necessity to repair something that has been damaged; the other comes from a desire to be better and grow stronger. We can compare counseling as going to physical therapy, except we have experienced a mental health injury that needs direction and time to heal and repair itself, rather than what physical therapy would do for our bodies. Counseling helps people understand 'why' and who want to address or repair an issue that is causing them pain or impacting their ability to move forward. Counseling addresses mental health or familial issues, communication that has, or is, causing conflict, and current concerns undermining life. It's to understand how the past has, or is impacting our thinking, behaviors, and current life. Counseling may deal with simple issues or deep traumas. Counseling will have a diagnosis.

We can compare coaching as going to the gym. It's voluntary and makes a person stronger, keeping them on track. It's setting up a work-out plan with accountability, goals, and progress noted. The coach guides us in self-awareness of how we want to move forward. It's obtaining new strengths by understanding how our minds work most effectively. Just as the exercises we do at a gym help us either tone, strengthen, or sculpt our bodies, life coaches can help us understand and set reachable goals to become stronger mentally, based upon the specific goals we want to set in our lives. Coaching helps people look from the present forward and fine-tune changes which will positively impact their future. Coaching does not include a mental health diagnosis. Coaching may be long-term support system that keeps a client on-track, happily moving forward with accountability and identification of how they address self-esteem issues, their work or job performance and satisfaction, and learning skills to build stronger relationships.

Licensed therapists must meet their specific state's requirements to be licensed to counsel people with mental health diagnoses.

Licensed therapists must obtain an advanced graduate degree and then must qualify for and be approved for supervision as interns.

Each prospective therapist must have an internship practicum (usually 3,000+ counseling hours under supervision), adding several additional years after graduate school before establishing their career. Supervisors must be state approved.

After completing an internship, prospective therapists must pass their state’s licensing board exams and apply before receiving licensures. States may also require ongoing training (continuing education units or CEUs) throughout a therapist’s career, depending upon their state licensing board’s requirements.

Licensed therapists provide mental health services with a diagnosis. In-person & telehealth have proven effective.

Licensed therapists treat people whose ability to function is impaired by the client’s condition, which will carry a diagnosis. Therapists' and healthcare professionals’ services are eligible for insurance coverage, depending upon the diagnosis and insurance company.

Even though the "licensure portability" laws are constantly changing, most therapists are allowed by their licensing boards to counsel residents in their state of licensure. In most states, a therapist can apply to provide counseling services to residents residing in other states where the counselor makes an application and is granted temporary licensure based upon portability laws in the additional states, usually where there is a shortage of licensed mental health practitioners and usually for telehealth services.

Therapists may address issues such as depression, divorce, family counseling, self-esteem, personality disorders, anxiety, anger issues, phobias, communication issues, pre-marital or marital situations, parenting, stages of development, trauma, PTSD, conflict resolution within a family system, abuse, school issues, panic attacks, pain management, or other mental health issues.

Coaches specialize in different areas to address different life goals for their clients.

Life coaches (& other types of certified coaches) help people who want to improve performance in a specific area (or areas) of their life or to be more successful and happier in life. They understand the significance of setting and achieving goals.

Most coaches specialize in an area in which they have experience or training.

Coaches carry a certification (not required in all states) rather than a license from a state licensing board.

Life coaches are not eligible for insurance reimbursement and are paid out of pocket by their clients.

Certified Life Coaches (or coaches certified in other areas, such as “Professional Organizer” coaches, and “Business Coaches”, etc. may practice coaching for residents of any state.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream! (C.S. Lewis)

Coaches can help clients build self-confidence & identify strengths, be a motivator, help clients set goals for self-improvement, assist in job performance improvement or job changes, help to begin a business, assist in learning time-management skills, help clients build positive relationships and balance in life, assist in financial planning, help in career development, improving life, improve health and well-being, unlock creativity, and gain overall clarity.

A difference between a therapist and a life coach is similar to a person going to a licensed physical therapist for physical therapy rehabilitation versus going to a personal trainer to become physically fit.

Some people see both a therapist and a coach simultaneously, such as counseling with a therapist to address mental health counseling issues while also seeing a life coach for non-counseling goals.

Compare what counselors do and what coaches do.

Comparisons: What's the Difference?

• Treat mental health issues: Counselor-Yes; Coach-No

• Usually covered by insurance: Counselor-Yes; Coach-No

• Can be seen by out-of-state clients: Counselor-No; Coach-Yes

• Can be seen by clients worldwide: Counselor-No; Coach-Yes

• Graduate degree required: Counselor-Yes; Coach-No

• Provide diagnosis: Counselor-Yes; Coach-No
  

• State licensure required to practice: Counselor-Yes; Coach-No

• Clients self-pay: Counselor-Yes (may be covered by insurance); Coach-Yes

• Certification required: Counselor-No (unless therapist voluntarily adds areas of specialty certification for expertise); Coach-recommended, not required.
  

Counseling is usually reactive to life events, whereas Coaching is usually proactive in reaching life goals.

The goal in counseling is to address the issues and be out of counseling as quickly as possible. Counseling is often reactive, which means that clients seek care after they've had a crisis or conflict, know a relationship is on the rocks, or have suffered a trauma. They "react" to a life event or situation to address that situation. It often deals with past issues that were never addressed or which a client still carries that contribute to their current situation. Sometimes great changes and growth are obtained through counseling, and it may be life-changing. It does involve a commitment on the part of all clients involved, or progress will be limited if there is resistance by one or multiple parties. In counseling, clients can learn skills to handle life situations effectively in the future, as well as manage daily life effectively. Most counseling clients obtain counseling until they believe they have addressed "the issue" and usually do not seek long-term counseling care unless they are addressing a long-term mental health issue.

If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things. (Albert Einstein)

Coaching, in comparison, is usually proactive. This means that it tends to be a forward-focused, conscious decision to improve life, and usually involves a great deal of "I want to do this" commitment and choice on the part of the client. It may involve addressing things that a person believes may be holding them back. It is a vision that looks toward the future with a coach helping the client identify and make an obtainable plan with steps to reach that vision along the way. It may be baby steps taken to build a higher quality of life and move forward. Most coaching clients commit to regular (usually weekly) scheduled time spent in coaching. Some highly successful individuals, as well as businesses, seek coaching on a regular, ongoing basis as an important part of their lives which often leads to great success and life-long happiness. They consider coaching as an important planning and goal-setting part of their lives, just as exercising regularly, building stronger social skills, improving conflict resolution skills, or improving communication skills are...as each of these addresses life skills. By allowing coaching to be part of their lives, pressure to "reach goals quickly" is removed, which allows them to understand themselves to a greater extent, provides flexibility to shift goals as their life unfolds, and creates an ability to build a more relaxed relationship with their coach as they focus on the client's growth.

You don’t have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great. (Les Brown)

Change in life may be difficult for some, but for others, it is transformative. One decision can impact life in extremely positive (or negative) ways that last a lifetime. Even if past choices have placed us in situations we want to be out of, sometimes it takes some outside help, as well as self-determination, to make and maintain change until it becomes a habit that is no longer difficult to maintain.

We don't get stronger by laying in the water, but when we push against the water (resistance, determination, the goal), we become stronger, learn to swim, and may even win swimming races. And we become healthier in the process.

Life changes work the same way. Sometimes we are too close to be able to "see the forest for the trees." Coaching or counseling professionals may be able to help us unlock roadblocks and see a different vision of how to handle situations or even how to see or rethink our views of those same situations.

Virtual Coaching (& Coffee!) with Clifton Fuller

I have been a licensed mental health professional since the 1980s. My team calls me the "puzzle master" as I try to help my clients find solutions and understand why the puzzle pieces of their lives aren't working well, don't fit together, or how to make the puzzle of their life situations, or relationships work more effectively.

In my coaching, I try to help my clients see themselves more clearly, positively, and to set very specific goals to move forward.

Please let me know if you need help with mental health issues or are seeking greater life satisfaction through coaching. If you're seeking coaching, please contact us for information about our special "Virtual Coaching & Coffee with Clifton Fuller" programs.