Life Coaching VS Psychotherapy

In a few blogs starting from now, will be a series of me discussing the difference of life coaching to other known professions. 

Today I will tell you what each focuses on, the relationship with the client, and then what happens in each session.

Life coaching will focus on the client's present life and what their dreams and desires are in the near or far future, as Psychotherapy deals with a person's past, pain and trauma and that the client comes to therapy for healing.

The relationship with the client in life coaching is inter-developmental, co-creative and will always be of equal partnership. The relationship between a therapist and their client is more directed towards a "Doctor-Patient Relationship" wherein therapist has answers to 'fix' their patient.

Now, what really happens in Life Coaching compared to Therapy? Basically, life coaches will partner with you to identify what you want and what works with you to explore options and create strategies as well as hold you accountable for visualizing the desired outcome. On the other hand, therapists will provide a diagnoses, then provide professional expertise and guidelines to give you a path to healing. 

There are different ways to describe what Life Coaching is to each person, but when it comes to Psychotherapy, this is about what Life Coaching is not.

As your life coach, I will not try to 'fix' any of your problems, rather-- we work from getting you from good to better or even to your best! Your sessions with me will not be easy, if you think I'll be solving problems for you, ha! But, I can guarantee you will be invigorated by some new found energy that you never thought you had in you! 

Resource: The ILCT