What is the difference between a life coach and a therapist?
While therapists and life coaches both have similar purposes, which is to improve the client’s quality of life, they take very different approaches to get there. The primary difference between a therapist and a life coach is that a therapist is trained to treat mental illness, whereas a life coach is not. Life coaches use different methods which focus more on the client’s thought patterns than his/her circumstances. Coaches help clients identify limiting mindsets and develop strategies to overcome their problems.
In the event that you do have a mental illness, see a therapist for treatment. But if you are someone who simply wants to make changes in life or improve the quality of your life in some way, a life coach might be for you. In fact, a 2016 survey of therapists indicates that roughly 30% of therapists do provide life coaching services, yet only 20% are trained in life coaching (Candea & Cotet, 2016). This further supports that while therapists can help an individual live a better life, they are not always prepared to do so in a way that a life coach is.
Life coaches can be described as those who help their clients improve any existing abilities, develop new skills, and gain a deeper understanding of self and others (Katsikis et al., 2016). This is done via conversation/interview between coach and client that allows for the life coach to formulate clear goals for their client. Many assume this looks like motivational speaking or professional mentoring, but there is an actual science to life coaching.
In a personal interview with founding director of the International Coaching Institute, Dr. Oana David explained that life coaching is primarily based in cognitive behavioral concepts; that is, focusing on personal growth and development, overcoming difficulties and maladaptive behaviors, and developing resilience (Freeman, 2016). While life coaching styles and methodologies do vary, nearly anyone can benefit from a life coach.
Why are life coaches helpful?
Life coaching is based on research
Again, life coaching has deep roots in cognitive behavioral techniques. In 1955, the Rational Emotive-Behavior Theory (REBT) and approach was founded by New York psychologist Albert Ellis: it was actually the first cognitive behavioral therapy recognized and known at the time (Katsikis et al., 2016). Life coaches have relied on this approach in comparison to other therapy approaches like cognitive-behavioral or dialectical behavior because REBT suggests that people experience frustrations not because of unfortunate circumstances, but because of irrational beliefs (Katsikis et al.). Life coaching focuses largely on these irrational or limiting beliefs and how to change them.
Life coaches offer extensive benefits
The most popular reason why people seek a life coach is because they want to actually achieve their goals and be successful (Casano, 2016). But results pulled from a study from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) also showed that life coaches were hired by those wanting to find happiness and/or life’s purpose, to find help in the decision to start a new or change career, and even to boost self-confidence. Just so, 80% of those who had a life coach reported that their self-confidence was increased.
In a study exploring the outcomes of life coaching interventions, evidence of direct health benefits were found even though the goal of the study was to evaluate self-efficacy and empowerment. 6 out of 9 diabetic patients decreased their blood sugar levels as they learned how to manage and live with their diabetes with the help of a life coach, all because they learned to change their attitude and daily routines (Ammentorp et al., 2013). The same researchers also noted the patients were more carefree/less stressed, had higher levels of adherence to medications, and higher self-efficacy and empowerment ((Ammentorp et al.) These are just a few of the added benefits of a life coach.
In a similar attempt to examine how life coaches can impact resilience amongst the workplace, participants were asked to attend three life coaching sessions over the span of 6 months and were asked to report their thoughts and feelings (Timson, 2015). Participants reported that they genuinely enjoyed these sessions as it provided them time and space to think of their work performance and apply it to future use. This is evidence life coaches encourage forward thinking and planning to improve overall happiness. These results also support statistics pulled from the study run by the IFC, as 70% of those who had life coaches improved their work productivity and nearly 86% of companies who have hired life coaches saw they made a return on their investments (Casano, 2016).
Finally, Passmore and Yi-Ling Lai (2019) wrote in their analytic review of coaching and coaching psychology that no matter the relationship (therapist to client, coach to client, mentor to client, etc.), the client must be willing to trust their coach for any sort of benefits to emerge from the program. It is a very vulnerable act to admit you need guidance, especially from someone outside your social circle. But in order for clients to see progress such as changing attitudes or increasing confidence, they must establish a trusting relationship with their coach. As the saying goes, there is no “I” in team.