Coach or Counselor - Which is the Right One for You?
Posted on August 4, 2008
Filed Under Coaching |
There is a world of a difference between a counselor and a coach. I have a professional background in both and feel uniquely qualified to write this article.A counselor’s primary aim is to zero in on the clients psychological or emotional state in order to bring the client into a state of being whole. Counselors focus in on what is wrong with the client in order to fix it.
A coach has an entirely different focus. Our orientation is more towards the future instead of the past. The agenda is to bring the client to a place of setting goals and taking action. Coaching is a very growth oriented and the relationship between the client and coach stay focused upon this.
Coaches work to bring the client into a place of discovery; consequently, they usually do not give much advice or lead with clear suggestions. An effective coach will help their client take ownership for the ideas they come up with and the action required to achieve results.
Is counseling a bad thing? I think counseling and coaching have their own unique place. When the need of the client is kept in the forefront, what method is required will become obvious. As a general rule, counselors work with people who have issues that they can’t seem to get on top of which are negatively affecting them. Coaches generally work with people who are very oriented towards their future and who are seeking help to accomplish their goals.
There are many different types of coaching but the kinds that I specialize in are life-forming and leadership. I have taken extensive training in both and received certification for completing the required training.
Life-forming coaching is probably the closest to counseling without it actually being counseling. In this approach it is not unusual for the coach to help the client key in on any issues that might be hindering their leadership effectiveness. The difference between the life-forming coach and the counselor is what they do next.
The coach will immediately help the client to take responsibility for any wrong actions and help them to go forward. The counselor on the other hand, will continue probing beyond this point in order to diagnose the problem for treatment.
If you desire to clarify your life’s purpose so you can passionately pursue it, I suggest you engage a coach. If you want to take your career or business to the next level but you seem stuck, I suggest you spend time with a coach. But if you have deep emotional issues related to a present or past experience then coaching probably is not what you need at this time.
Comments
Leave a Reply
-
Mission
“We take the complex and make it plain and simple - giving you insights and strategies that you can use”.
-
Search
-
Admin
