118: The Difference Between Coaching And Counseling

I know the value of support not only from me being able to give it to other people, but also from my own experiences. I have had counselors in the past. I've had coaches in the past, and I've had things that haven't worked, and I've had things that have worked. But for the most part, my support has allowed me to achieve the success that I truly desire, and to some extent some of the things that I got out of it. I'm not sure that I would have been able to get on my own. So today I want to talk about the difference between coaching and counseling. The truth is, the two can overlap in some ways, but there are some differences as well. The first thing is financial differences with coaching. A coach can determine their prices, and it's not covered under medical insurance, whereas counseling, sometimes you may be paying out of pocket. Sometimes your insurance may cover it. I went to see a Christian counselor once who was 100% out of pocket. But I've also known of counselors that bill medical insurance, and so counseling can be either. The other difference is credentials. So as counselors, you have to be licensed through your state, you also have had to go to college and get a degree to counsel or give therapy. Whereas coaches, there is no requirement to be certified as a coach as of yet (https://www.nicolyawilliams.com/blog/2021/04/how-to-pick-the-right-certification-program?rq=certification) . Now, the International Coach Federation does certify people, but not everyone is certified. And let me say that everyone who is certified is not always qualified. Technically, anyone can call themselves a coach if they'd like to label themselves with that. It's why it's so important to really understand what kind of coach you're looking for and what credentials they have, what experience they have, what their history is, what their clients are saying and their testimonials and their success stories. I know that sounds crazy that anyone could call themselves a coach, but the truth is, there are some people that are extremely qualified based on their own experiences and their own life, as well as working with other people. There's a lot of similarities and there's a lot of differences with coaching and with counseling. For me personally I worked as counselor for years and so the transition into coaching was really exciting for me. In addition I have experienced both from a consumer side. I have had counselors and I have worked with many coaches. Because of my experience in working in both arenas and being a client in both I know that there are pros and cons to each. My goal is to help to make you aware and informed so that you're making an informed decision about the kind of support that you need on your journey. The best way to start this is to identify what you're really looking for in regards to support. Are you looking for someone to be in the trenches with you? Are you looking for someone to hold you accountable? Are you looking for someone just to listen to you? What are you looking for? In summary, Both therapists and properly trained coaches can help individuals who want to make changes in their lives. When you identify that, then you can start to see where you're going to get the best support. You can start to see where you're going to struggle, where you'll need support, and most importantly, where you'll get the best support. Again, the point is not to choose for you. The point is to arm you with information so that you can start taking steps to get the support that you need. If you have any more questions, feel free to comment below and let me know.