Transformational Life Coach vs. Therapist

What’s the difference between a Transformational Life Coach and a Therapist?

Perhaps you’re considering transformational life coaching but you aren’t sure if it’s for you because you already have a therapist, or were thinking about finding one. How do you determine whether or not you need a transformational life coach or a therapist?

While they may both help with mental health and emotional healing, life coaching focuses primarily on setting and achieving goals, as well as removing limiting beliefs and blocks that stand between you and your success.

Therapists often tend to focus on the past, rather than use where you are in the present to create action in order to move forward.

How do you determine whether or not you need a transformational life coach or therapist?

This blog will show you three of the key differences so you can decide whether or not transformational life coaching is right for you.

No matter what you choose, having someone to look at your life from an outside perspective can be very beneficial for your progress and personal development.

Holistic Life Coaching Focuses on Outcomes and Goals in All Areas of Your Life

When you begin with a Transformational Life Coach, you will begin by taking a holistic look at all areas of your life from mental, emotional, physical, relational, spiritual, and occupational to see where you are currently and help to establish clarity around where you want to go.

Then, you will work with your Life Coach to achieve the goals and outcomes that you move you forward toward these milestones.

While a therapist can help with many of these areas, they typically focus less on goals and outcomes, and more on problems surrounding these aspects of your life. Therapists tend to work on one area at a time, whereas a Transformational Life Coach taking a holistic approach looks at how all aspects of life work together to create continuity.

Life Coaches Do Not Diagnose, Prescribe, or Treat

A Life Coach is not a medical professional and does not diagnose, prescribe or treat mental illness or other disease. As therapists are typically licensed professionals, and in many cases use a diagnosis to submit to your insurance for payment, they are able to diagnose in accordance with their expertise and certifications.

Psychotherapists may, in some cases, be able to prescribe medications.

A Transformational Life Coach works with the whole person, and while health and self-care may come up as topics of focus, a Life Coach is not a medical professional and will not offer advice in such areas. It is best when working with a Life Coach, to consult with your general practitioner prior to making any changes.

A Transformational Life Coach Can Help You With Your Business

Transformational Life Coaching can help you get clear on and achieve your personal and professional goals. A Life Coach can help you on creating a business plan, improving your communications skills, overcoming money mindset blocks, achieving financial goals, and finding a work life balance. For those looking to start a new business or grow their current business, a Transformational Life Coach is a great choice.

A therapist tends to focus the conversation and work on trauma recovery, unlocking areas in past relationships that are still causing pain or issues, working through depression or anxiety, and significant loss.

Life coaches and therapists will sometimes help their clients with similar problems, but it’s important to understand the distinction between the two in order to decide which one will serve you best. It’s also important to realize that life coaching is not simply “therapy lite” – it is work that focuses on helping to motivate and inspire YOU to achieve more than you believe is possible for yourself!

Does it sound like Transformational Life Coaching is what you have been looking for?

Then I’d love to invite you to book a Free Discovery Session in order to determine if my coaching is a match for your needs! In this free 45-minute session, you’ll have the opportunity to paint a picture of the life of your dreams and together will uncover the limiting blocks and beliefs that are keeping you from achieving those goals.

If you’d like to read what others have reported about their transformational life coaching experience with me, you can read their testimonials here.