If you’re not sure if it’s coaching or counselling/psychotherapy you need you are likely asking yourself – what is the difference?

A brief and simplistic answer is:

• Counselling focuses on the past and sometimes the present, holding a supportive space whilst the client works through and comes to terms with whatever it is they have experienced or are currently experiencing.

• Coaching focuses on the present and the future which generally involves setting goals, finding solutions and determining action to be taken.

“… put very simply, I place coaching at one end of a continuum, as forward facing, positive and goal focused, and counselling and therapy at the other end, as reparative and dealing with deep, underlying issues.”
Keren Smedley ~ taken from BACP Journal, Therapy Today, March 2014

There are a huge variety of counselling, psychotherapy and coaching approaches, modalities and theories along with a diverse range of practitioners who will bring their own unique experiences of life, personal and professional development, beliefs and neuroses (we all have them!), thus making it hard to categorise their service into either coaching or counselling/psychotherapy.

It is also confused by the industry itself. The short-term solution-focused counselling and psychotherapy EAP* work I undertake require the setting of goals and monitoring of achievement and improvement.

*Employee Assistance Programmes – agencies that work as an intermediary between an employer/organisation and freelance counsellors/psychotherapists.

There are a lot of counsellors out there who use coaching skills in their work and there are a lot of coaches out there who use counselling skills in their work.

Where does this leave you? It is always useful to know, from the outset, what it is you are wanting to achieve by seeking out either a counsellor or coach. Even if, like me, your counsellor is also a coach, it is important to determine what the focus of the work will be that you do together. If I am coaching someone I am working differently – I am more directive and mindful of what is wanting to be achieved and supporting the client in removing the obstacles that are preventing them from achieving their desired outcome. If I’m counselling the pace tends to be slower and in keeping with the client’s own natural, inherent process.

And just to either confuse the situation more or provide greater clarity here are a couple of examples, from my own practice, where there has been overlap:

• Someone may be going through a period of depression, and whilst it is important to give that person the time, space and relationship they need to express this and feel this, there may come a time when they will begin to feel ready to take action to help themselves further. For me, the key is in the timing. I strive to totally accept a person wherever they are at. And if that is walking with them awhile whilst they appear to be staying in the same place, that is what I will do. Because there will come a time when that person is ready to begin to do something different – but until they are ready it won’t work. When they’re ready, they’ll be more focus on the present and actions to take for their future.

• Someone may be all fired up and come for coaching to help them get fit and healthy. Whilst working on their chosen goals we will begin to identify the obstacles to their progress, some of which might be past issues that they never made the connection to before. Therefore, some of the sessions may be exploring and healing the past so it becomes less or even no issue in the present and future.

Change – more examples to highlight if it’s coaching or counselling you need…

• Sometimes change is thrust upon us and life becomes too difficult to bear. The death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, ill health, accidents – counselling can support you through these difficult times and help you find a level of peace and acceptance to then begin to find a way to move forward in life.

• Sometimes we seek change out. We know what we want to do but are overwhelmed with what’s to come, or don’t know where to start, or know we need to change something but not sure what or how. Coaching can help here.

As both a counsellor/psychotherapist and coach I decided to keep my rates for these services the same because there is so much overlap, especially in the way that I work. You will find a lot of coaches charge a considerably larger amount of money for coaching – sometimes this is because it’s specialist coaching, such as executive or leadership coaching, or relative to the client’s industry, sometimes it’s because they are an expert in a certain area, and sometimes it’s just because they can!

I have a wealth of skills, knowledge, techniques and experience in both counselling, psychotherapy and coaching, as well as in business, training, personal development and so on. What I want to emphasise is that at the heart of my practice is you, the client, and what you might need in the beginning might not be what you need further on.

So instead of asking yourself do I need coaching or counselling, ask yourself: Do I want to change? Do I want to help myself? Do I want to heal? Do I want my life to be better than this? Do I want someone to talk to? Do I want someone to be with me during this difficult time of my life? Do I want someone to help me achieve my goals? Do I want someone to help me work out what my goals actually are?

One of the reasons I offer a free initial meeting of 15 minutes is to help you gain some clarity on which service might be best for you if you’re not sure. Whichever you decide upon you will get the full benefit of what I bring to my work but we’ll both be clear on what it is you’re needing right now and that will be the focus of the work. And always remember – we all have the right to change our minds!