About our Services

What’s the difference between Therapy and Coaching?

Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.

Other Questions?

What’s the difference between Therapy and Coaching?

Therapy

Coaching

Focus

Healing the Past. Focus is on emotional experience and symptoms.

Creating the future. Focus is on values, goals, actions, and outcomes.

Your goals

Therapy can be helpful for mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, addiction, resolving past trauma, phobias, and insomnia.

Coaching can be helpful for improving your quality of life by improving performance, creating a vision, making decisions, navigating obstacles, and creating work/life balance.

Style of Conversation

Therapists use inquiry, insight, artful questioning, and reflection. The client does most of the talking.

Coaches use provocative questions, and give direct, reliable feedback, ideas for action, and support. The conversation is a collaboration.

Professional Role

A Therapist has expertise with the problem for which you are seeking help. She is able to give a mental health diagnosis and provide treatment for your concerns.

A coach will collaborate with you to help you clarify and meet your goals. She is a co-creator, sometimes an advisor, mentor, or guide. She helps provide structure and accountability that helps you move forward.

Insurance

Health insurance companies pay for treatment of medical conditions, and therefore they may pay part or all of the cost of counseling.

Because there is no medical condition, coaching is private pay.

Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well.

Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods.

Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes.

Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you’ve faced, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it.

In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you’re at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy.

Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.