When it comes to reaching your aspirations, it can be hard to decide which professional to turn to. A life coach can assist you in setting goals and creating a plan of action to accomplish them, while a therapist can provide deeper self-reflection and cognitive tools for managing mental health. But which one is the best option for you?The primary distinction between a life coach and a therapist is that a life coach concentrates on helping clients progress towards concrete, specific, action-oriented goals. They offer an ongoing partnership designed to help clients achieve satisfying results in their personal and professional lives.
Professional coaches use their high level of training and skill to also dedicate themselves to the coaching pool, and they provide tools for the client to move from one state to another, moving towards their goal. Therapists, on the other hand, can also help you reach some of your goals, but they offer deeper self-exploration and cognitive tools for healing and managing mental health. They recognize the value of what properly trained life coaches offer clients, but many counselors maintain that coaches simply use the theories and techniques that are taught to each counselor on a routine basis. Even if you don't have a mental health issue, a life coach is still the best option when you're looking to cure emotional pain or when you want to create a quiet space in your life where you can work things out. Ethical life coaches know that life coaching is not therapy and refer clients who need therapy to a therapist. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as the partnership with clients in a creative and thought-provoking process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. In other words, just because life coaches aren't required to meet specific professional standards doesn't mean they don't have any standards. Ultimately, therapy and life coaching are two intertwined aspects of the same braid of self-discovery, healing and personal development.
So if you're looking for someone to help you achieve your dreams, a life coach is the best choice.