Coaching vs Therapy
I often hear people ask, should I do coaching or should I do therapy? A few thoughts come to mind.
What method would best serve your needs? If you want help in processing Big T Trauma, which is a reaction to a deeply disturbing, life-threatening event or situation, as well as mental illness or abuse, then therapy would be your best option. Little t trauma, according to Psychology Today, are “events that exceed our capacity to cope and cause a disruption in emotional functioning.” Such events aren’t inherently life threatening, but rather ego-threatening, as they cause people to feel helpless in their circumstances. It could be an event you’ve experienced as traumatic at a personal level, such as a relationship breakup or losing a job. If this is the case, then coaching would likely work for you.
What might happen if you did both? I’ve worked with clients who have a therapist and a coach. Are there underlying issues from your past that have never been addressed and are getting in the way of your every day life? Perhaps a therapist would help you to process the past while a coach could help with current or future concerns, business goals or achieving weight loss goals, for instance. Working simultaneously with the client, the therapist and coach can provide greater insight for a client who is ready to make changes in their life.
Discomfort with the concept of therapy. For some, the stigma of “going to therapy” or mental illness are too much. They picture having to lie on a couch and talk to a therapist about their childhood rehashing old hurts and want no part of that. Having a coach is so common in many arenas - sports, executives, leadership, personal, life, weight loss, business, entrepreneurship and more. These days it seems like almost everyone has a coach, so coaching can seem more accessible. For those who have stigma around therapy, coaching may be the solution that best meets their needs.
What are your thoughts? Have you experienced both coaching and therapy? What worked well for you? Did you have a preference for one over the other or did both meet your needs? I’d love to hear your insights.