Sometimes it's hard to know what a person needs: Coaching or Psychotherapy?
Here's some guidelines to help you decide what's right for you in this moment.

 

 

PSYCHOTHERAPY: Focuses on processing feelings and emotions, gaining insight into patterns and interpersonal relationship, and managing clinical issues of depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, PTSD, or any other diagnosis. Best for identifying and working through unresolved emotions, anxiety, addiction, family-of-origin issues, trauma, grief, and relationship patterns.
** Can include coaching aspects as well.

 

COACHING: Directive, dynamic and goal-oriented. Based on accountability and taking the action-steps necessary to achieve your desired results. Coaching helps you find clarity, make decisions, and get “unstuck.” More solution-focused in order to optimize your way of being in life.
**Does not work with family-of-origin or crisis issues.

 

To put it poetically, Therapy is about healing the past, and Coaching is about alchemy in the present; and yet surprisingly both involve turning 'tin' into 'gold.' 

 

In Therapy, the 'tin' is represented by the woundings that you've experienced throughout life, and the compounding of the (usually) ineffective ways that you've learned to deal with your wounding. The 'gold' in this scenario is the wisdom, the insight, and the self-realization that you begin to extract from experiencing those woundings, with the assistance of your therapist. This creates emotional healing. 

 

In the context of Coaching, the 'tin' is represented by your bad habits, your defense mechanisms + all the ways you self-sabotage your dreams and goals (i.e. your 'old way of being'). And the 'gold' is your 'new way of being' in the world, your more empowered self, & the rewards for taking action towards your goals. Through coaching you have been transformed into an optimal version of yourself, capable of achieving the goals you set based on your own desires for your own life. 

 

To Sum:

 

Therapy looks at family of origin issues and specific events that shape our lives. It looks at how a person is feeling, their relationships, and how their emotions show up in their lives. Therapy is about Self-Realization.

 

Coaching isn’t so much about feelings and emotions but rather the beliefs, strategies, and tactics people use to get what they say they want in life, and by the way, how’s that workin’ for ya? As a coach, I ask empowering questions to help you source your own inner wisdom. Coaching is about Self-Actualization.