What's the difference?

We are 9 days into 2020...how’s everybody doing? Are you staying the course in your intentions, goals, or resolutions? I know I've already experienced some challenges, but I'm determined to push through! In between Christmas and New Years I wrote about how to accomplish your goals this year. (You may find it helpful to re-read that article here to jump start you on goal setting) 

This month we are going to focus on understanding the value a coach can bring to actually accomplishing your goals and meeting those resolutions that you set! So, first up, what’s the difference between a coach and a therapeutic counselor? According to author Jim Paterson of Counseling Today, there are 3 main differences. 

1. Education - licensed counselors will have at least a Master’s Degree or higher. This includes internship hours as a graduate students and then continued hours in the counseling field under an already licensed counselor as their supervisor. In contrast, there are a wide range of coaching certification programs available now. Some of these are more intensive in their training and coursework than others. The great thing about working with a counselor who also has coaching training - which is typically included in their graduate studies work - is that you have the added knowledge base of the mental health realm. 
2. Experience - I’m not talking about years of experience here, I’m talking about actual experience you’ll have. Coaches tend to focus on defining specific goals, helping clients identify the skills needed to reach the goals, and providing accountability over a specified period of time. With therapeutic counseling, you’ll generally focus on challenges you have in your day to day that are connected to experiences you’ve had in your past. The counselor is trained to help you identify what is “triggering” you currently from that experience, recognizing those feelings, and finding a healthy way through them. 
3. Duration - Often times, working with a coach can result in seeing faster progress because you can be laser focused on attaining the goal you set. You may only work with a coach for 3-4 sessions. That type of rapid progress may not be seen as quickly in therapeutic counseling. This doesn’t mean that counselors aren’t doing their job; when people are seeking out counseling, it is usually for bigger (and messier, let’s get real) challenges. It takes more time to sort out the complications of life, especially when you’re working hard to process and move forward from long ago hurts. 

Personally, I believe there is a time and a place for both coaching and counseling! That’s why I offer both at our practice. If you have a specific goal in mind - whether it’s career oriented or personal development - then coaching would be perfect. If you’re realizing that “thing” you thought you’d worked through has reared its’ head again, then perhaps it’s time for a counseling session to look at the underlying causes. Whatever approach works for you, I truly hope that 2020 is the year you invest in yourself to accomplish your goals and be whole-person healthy. 

Be well, 
JoEllen