Coaching starts with a designed alliance between us that will determine how we will work together. This will include how we will communicate, defining what you want to achieve, and how we will work to move you forward.
Coaching VS. Therapy
This is not a black and white question because many different styles and modalities exist within both therapy and coaching. Here is a basic breakdown that may help:
Coaching – Tends to work from the present moving forward
Therapy – May spend a lot of time looking at your past and how you arrived at the present.
Coaching – Looks to identify what “saboteurs” (inner critics) are taking you off track and how to manage them.
Therapy – Some of these “saboteurs” may be dominating your life so much that they have caused your life to become unmanageable.
Coaching – Does not utilize a lot of “story” and tends to get to the bottom line.
Therapy – Does explore a lot of “story”.
Coaching – Use of direct, powerful questions.
Therapy – A more sensitive approach to questioning.
Coaching – A predetermined time commitment, usually 3-6 months.
Therapy – Undefined time commitment, can go as long as needed.
Coaching – It is common for tasks to be assigned between sessions.
Therapy – Not as much, if at all.
Coaching – Not Therapy
Therapy – Not Coaching
Coaching and therapy can both be very effective ways for people to move forward with their lives. It is also not uncommon to work simultaneously with both a coach and a therapist.