Life Coach V. Therapist – What Is The Difference?

Posted on Aug 16, 2021 | 0 comments

There are a lot of options available when you are ready to seek professional help for your emotional health and growth, it can be really confusing. Just as making that first call can be intimidating and scary, so let’s go over two great options for healing and what they look like – life coach vs therapist.

Life coaches are professionals who help you achieve personal and professional goals. They are the How. While Therapists are professionals who help you focus on your mental health. They are the Why. Both utilize approaches that vary and can be unique unto that professional.

Here are the 3 key differences in life coach vs therapist.

Life Coach:

Focused on goals and action
Empowers you to take action
Future focused
Holds you accountable
Certified

Therapist:

Focused on mental health and why
Helps you understand/learn to heal
Rooted in the past and present
Offer diagnoses
Licensed

The structure of sessions with a life coach vs a therapist differs from treatment type to program type to appointment styles. Many life coaches will offer programs and package deals to help you get on track. This can be great for if you are stuck somewhere in life – whether it be your personal or professional life, a coach can help motivate you. They have the freedom to really hold you accountable and motivate you in a way that works for you.

When to hire a life coach:

You feel stuck and unable to set achievable goals
You are ready to take the next step in your life – work or personal
You feel like you are on autopilot and you need to challenge yourself out of your comfort zone
You are ready to change your limiting beliefs that are holding you back
You need to change your inner dialogue
You are searching for purpose and meaning, but can’t find it anywhere
You are confused about what to do next
You feel something is missing from your life
You are ready to hold yourself and be held accountable

A therapist, on the other hand, usually will want to work daily, weekly or monthly depending on the type of treatment you need, focusing on why you feel like you do. They have methods of healing and will go through the process with you.

When to hire a therapist:

You are experiencing mental health problems like anxiety, depression, eating or sleeping problems, traumas for long periods of time
You want to heal from your past
You need support in navigating and understanding your emotions
You struggle in your interpersonal relationships
You want to learn strategies to feel less impacted by others

The thing is, a life coach and a therapist can work great together for healing and growing together! If both of these lists resonate with you, you can always look into working with both and seeing how fast you blossom! Either way, they are both there to help you and are almost always the friendliest of people, so don’t ever be hesitant to reach out! Remember the most successful of people do.

Another option, just to leave you with one last thought, is seeking out a Conscious Trauma Informed Life Coach – we have been specially trained to do much of all of the above, through a trauma informed lens, with an incredibly impactful healing plan. You can read more about that Here.

Cheers!

Malibu Mama Loves Xx

Are you ready to transform your unhealed trauma and turn your pain into purpose? Join my FREE masterclass today!