Life Coaching vs. Therapy

In recent years, the conversations around therapy and coaching have become more common. Maybe you’ve seen this in your own life: your partner works with a therapist to manage anxiety, and your neighbor has a coach to sharpen her leadership skills. If you’re navigating a major life transition—like the stress of becoming a new parent—you might wonder whether therapy or coaching is the right fit for your journey.

While therapy and coaching can both provide support and guidance, they serve distinct purposes and approaches. Understanding these differences can help you make the best choice for your needs.

​

Therapy: Healing and Self-Understanding

Therapy focuses on addressing mental health challenges, healing from past experiences, and fostering emotional well-being. Therapists are trained professionals equipped to diagnose and treat mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, or trauma.

For example, when I became a mother at 20, I faced immense challenges adjusting to my new role. I struggled with identity loss, insecurity, and societal expectations. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the postpartum experiences I was going through. A therapist could have provided me with the clinical insight and emotional tools to process these feelings and create a foundation for healing.

Therapy is especially helpful when you want to:

• Process past traumas or unresolved issues.

• Manage mental health conditions.

• Explore and understand deep-seated patterns of thought and behavior.

​

Coaching: Empowerment and Goal Achievement

Coaching, on the other hand, is action-oriented and forward-looking. Coaches help you clarify your goals, develop strategies, and overcome obstacles to achieve personal or professional growth. They don’t diagnose or treat mental health issues but instead focus on helping you excel in specific areas.

For example, as someone who values community and safe spaces for women navigating new roles, working with a coach could have been instrumental in helping me transition into motherhood with a stronger sense of purpose and direction. A coach might have guided me in developing stress management techniques or setting boundaries while balancing work and parenting responsibilities.

Coaching is ideal when you want to:

• Enhance specific skills, like leadership or stress management.

• Navigate life transitions, such as career changes or becoming a parent.

• Create actionable plans for achieving specific goals.

​

How to Decide

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by unresolved emotions, struggling with mental health, or needing a space to process complex feelings, therapy is likely the better fit. On the other hand, if you’re looking for guidance in setting and achieving goals or improving performance, coaching might be the way to go.

Ultimately, therapy and coaching are not mutually exclusive—you can benefit from both at different times in your life. Both approaches are valuable tools for growth, tailored to meet you where you are and guide you to where you want to be.