What is the difference between coaching and counseling?
Coaching is different from counseling. If you’ve ever had counseling, chances are, your counselor spent lots of time helping you understand the past and why you do what you do. The theory is, if you’re having a problem, you can’t change until you understand the underlying psychological issues of the past and this process usually requires many sessions. We disagree. Although you might need to talk about the past to explain the problem, you will quickly be guided to what you need to do today to make things better. Our focus is on the future. Plus, we know that change can happen quickly. Another difference is that counselors often see themselves as “experts” who help you “fix” yourself in some way. Divorce Busting® Coaches, on the hand, see themselves as “teammates” and focus on your inner strengths and resources to help you achieve your personal goals. Coaching is a perfect model for marriages in distress because when you’re in pain, you shouldn’t wallow in the past because you won’t fin
Let us first offer the disclaimer that this is a far oversimplified account of the differences, but should present at least the basic outline of the differences between coaching and counseling — at least as they work in our particular practice of each field. In counseling or psychotherapy, the therapist often helps the client search for the root of the current problem in order to facilitate a long-term solution. A therapist might use her clinical judgment to help a client see how past events have impacted the present, and to resolve issues at their source. In general, a therapist’s job is to assess or diagnose a problem by looking at symptoms and helping the client alleviate the symptoms. A coach, on the other hand, focuses less on the problem and more on the solution. Rather than examining the past, a coach looks only at the future — where the client wants to go and how to get there. A coach typically focuses more on behaviors and less on feelings (though most coaches are very empathi
[Top] If you go onto the websites of virtually anyone who offers life coaching, you will probably find an array of somewhat confusing answers to this question. I will try not to add to that confusion by keeping my answer concrete and simple. Counseling is a mental health intervention that is needed by and intended for people with a mental health disorder. A good deal of coaching occurs within the counseling relationship, but counseling is intended to alleviate the symptoms of a mental health diagnosis while coaching is directed at helping a client who does not have a mental health issue to reach his or her goals, to grow within a relationship or life transition, to manage and teach a difficult child, or to develop skills to compensate for the challenges of ADD/ADHD. Counseling is practiced in many ways from teaching coping skills to healing from trauma or the existential wounds of the past to gaining insight about how and why we have problems with ourselves, our emotions or other peopl
A Councilor according to the dictionary is professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. For example a school counselor might help you figure out what type of classes you want to take based on their methodologies of who you are now. A coach uses dialog to discover your interests and help you understand what type of lifestyle you want to create for yourself. We look at your values, your interests, your hopes and dreams. We can discover what types of challenges you think you might face, including your own beliefs. You might have a belief about yourself that would create challenges for you, or worse stop you from achieving your desired lifestyle. We can inspire real change within you and what you can achieve based on your personal discoveries. We can design a plan together, we discover what kinds of skills you already possess. Th
Ask Mars Venus Coaching revolves around personal and professional growth without the mental health aspects on which counseling is primarily focused. When you speak with an Ask Mars Venus coach, he or she will not attempt to diagnose, treat, or manage any mental health issues. What coaches do is help you understand exactly what’s going on in your life and your relationship, and they’ll work with you to figure out what you can do about it. Ask Mars Venus coaching focuses on education and solutions surrounding the differences between men and women—particularly in the way of communication—and is based on the principles found in all of the Mars Venus books. While coaching may involve a discussion of past relationships or other times in your life, it will not mimic psychotherapy where the effect of childhood experiences on your life are often examined. Coaching is for the present moment and present concerns. Where counseling often takes place over months or years, relationship coaching can b
