|
Most people know the important contributions that a Mental Health therapist/counselor can make to a person’s holistic well-being. Now a relatively new field, commonly referred to as “Life Coaching,” is providing additional support and encouragement for people. Life Coaching relates to a variety of life events and arenas such as: relational, career, parenting, financial, religious, teen, and a plethora of other descriptive words and phrases. All, however, are connected to the homogenous umbrella term, “Coaching.”
Dr. Patrick Williams of The Institute for Life Coach Training, summarizes the distinctions between counseling and coaching.
*The Past Versus the Future. The therapist seeks to help the client resolve past issues, pains, and dysfunctions which can affect them physically, psychologically, and relationally. The coach focuses on encouraging the client to utilize his or her current strengths and abilities to forge a new, exciting, and satisfying future.
*“Fixing” Versus Co-creating. In clinical therapy, the client comes with a presenting problem and the counselor applies a “medical model” form of treatment that seeks to heal the client. Coaching takes the person’s life after the healing and facilitates the co-creation of goals and directions that bring about personal fulfillment.
*Professional Versus Collegial. In counseling, the therapist is the “expert” and, from the client’s perspective, the power rests with the therapist. In coaching, the relationship is more like a partnership that helps the client unlock his/her own sources of knowledge and solutions.
Call me today at (361) 813-6981 for a free session and find out which approach is best for you at this point in your life! The key is to start now!
|
