Life Coach, Therapist, or Psychologist?

Written By Alexandria Williams

Life Coach vs. Therapist vs. Psychologist

Is a coach or a therapist a better fit for your goals? You may discover an interest in both. Let’s explore the coaching relationship and how it differs from therapy.

What does a Life Coach do?

A life coach helps you to move beyond living and surviving to thriving. Life coaching is not a need, but it’s a conscious choice to become your best self.

A life coach can help with things like:

  • Setting goals

  • Identifying challenges or roadblocks to goals

  • Creating a roadmap or plan to reach your goals

Life coaches work with individuals who desire to break free from limitations and become their best self. Often, this desire to move forward comes from not reaching your goals or feeling some nonspecific dissatisfaction with your life. Sometimes this inability to move forward is due to limiting beliefs, burnout, or a lack of self-exploration. Life coaches partner with you through exploration and discovery to achieving your dreams.

What does a therapist do?

A therapist helps you cope and maintain stability in everyday life, whether it’s managing your emotions, self-care, or work load.

A therapist can help with things like:

  • Moving past trauma or an upsetting situation

  • Exploring and understanding your past and how it affects your present

  • Healing from mental and emotional issus

Therapists work with individuals experiencing issues that cause mental or emotional symptoms like depression, anxiety, anger, insomnia, and more. Some therapists may diagnose specific mental disorders, particularly if working with insurance, which requires a diagnosis for payment. Therapists focus on different modalities, from talking, and meditation to body movement and art to help you heal from past trauma and function in daily activities like family life, work, hobbies, and social situations.

What does a psychologist do?

A psychologist undergoes extensive training in psychological conditions and specializes in diagnosis and assessment of mental disorders.

A psychologist can help with things like:

  • Diagnose the breadth and scope of mental or emotional disorder(s)

  • Conduct research related to psychological disorders

  • Provide therapy or recommend treatment for psychological disorders

Psychologists undergo years of training at the doctoral level to specialize in mental disorders, or a subset of disorders related to a specific population. Most individuals see a psychologist for complex mental and emotional issues that aren’t resolved in therapy. Psychologists are trained to conduct in-depth neuropsychological assessments and recommend evidence-based treatment plans based on research. Psychologists do not prescribe medication, but may participate in a treatment intervention.

Should I see a therapist or psychologist?

While both therapists and psychologists may both provide therapy, there are key differences in their education and scope of practice. While all therapists will provide some form of therapy to individuals, families, and groups, some psychologists only provide neuropsychological assessment and treatment referrals for further treatment. Seeing a psychologist may be a helpful step in your therapy journey. The following are some key differences between therapists and psychologists.

Therapist vs. Psychologist: Training and Education

Therapists may earn a bachelors or masters degree and obtain licensing that permits providing therapy. In addition, therapists may pursue internships for specialized or additional training as part of licensing requirements for therapy practice hours. A psychologist undergoes 3 - 5 years of training at the doctoral level and conducts research to fulfill doctoral level requirements. As a result, the psychologist has a wider understanding of and exposure to various psychological disorders and their treatments.

While a therapist’s training focuses on specific therapy modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Somatic Experiencing, or other modalities, such as art or play therapy, a psychologist’s training focuses heavily on diagnosis and assessment. As researchers, psychologists may incorporate research and evidence-based approaches into their treatment recommendations, while therapists primarily focus on training in specific modalities.

Therapist vs. Psychologist: Scope of Practice

The majority of therapists provide individual, group, or family therapy in centers or in private practice. For psychologists, the scope of practice is much more broad. Some psychologists focus on academic research, others focus solely on diagnosis and assessment, and some incorporate assessment with emotional and behavioral interventions. Although neither therapists or psychologists prescribe medication, a psychologist may recommend or refer certain medical interventions based on research.

Should I see a life coach or therapist?

When you experience challenges in your life, one of the first things people ask, is should I see a therapist or life coach? The short answer is that many choose to see both a therapist and a life coach simultaneously! Therapists and life coaches operate differently, but there are benefits to seeing both simultaneously. If you want to choose one or the other, the following are some questions to ask yourself to determine if a therapy or coaching relationship is right for you.

Life Coach vs Therapist Pros and Cons

The truth is there are no pros and cons to life coaching vs therapy. It’s all about what is best for you. In the following paragraphs, we’ll explore that by asking three questions—

  • What are my challenges?

  • What are my goals?

  • How do I want to move forward?

What are my challenges?

  • Are you having trouble performing essential tasks—childcare, working, cooking, cleaning, self-care?

  • Are you having feelings of hopelessness, sadness or anger that you just can’t shake?

  • Do you find yourself experiencing emotional outbursts, such as crying or yelling?

  • Do you feel unable to control your emotions?

  • Do you feel that your current feelings interfere with your daily life?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, the best place to start your journey to healing is in therapy. If you find that your current situational challenges are leading to symptoms that cannot be resolved with self-care techniques, such as mindfulness, meditation, exercise, journaling, or other strategies, it’s important to seek support from a professional early before these symptoms affect your daily function. Life coaching can be helpful once you’ve gained mental clarity and emotional stability. Furthermore, life coaching can help you take steps to move forward when you’ve identified what’s holding you back.

Perhaps your symptoms are less severe and you find yourself experiencing feelings of restlessness, dissatisfaction, and bordeom:

  • Feelings of failure despite awards, praise, or other markers of success

  • Constant burnout and the desire to escape your current life or situation

  • Lack of fulfillment and desire to do something different, but unsure of what it is

  • Desire to achieve a specific goal, but inability to due to unknown blocks

  • You’ve completed a significant milestone in your therapy journey and are wondering what’s next

Both coaching and therapy may discuss the past. The difference is therapy focuses on coping and mental and emotional management when the past interferes with your ability to function in a healthy way. In contrast, life coaching is all about setting tangible and realistic goals and defining ways to achieve them. Both life coaching and therapy can help you lead a more fulfilling life.

What are my goals?

  • Do you want to explore your childhood and upbringing and how that shaped your beliefs?

  • Is there a past situation that is holding you back?

  • Can you point to a specific event that stunted your personal growth or forward momentum?

OR

  • Do you want to explore new possibilities, even if that means a completely new and unexpected path?

  • Are you ready to grow, even if that means doing things that make you uncomfortable?

  • Do you have an idea of what you want, but unsure of the steps to get there?

If your answer to the first set of questions is yes, you may find it helpful to explore therapy. However, if the answer to the second set of questions is yes, then it means you’re on the right track for a life coach. Coaching helps you move forward, and while that may involve confronting limiting beliefs caused by past situations.

How do I want to move forward?

Sometimes it comes to simply asking yourself, what do I prefer to do?

Many people have attended therapy for years hoping to find satisfaction in their life, but still feeling like they’re just rehashing the past. If you’re ready to move forward and go beyond surviving to thriving, life coaching is for you. Let’s explore how to become your best self.

Wherever you are in your journey, I’m glad you’re here. I’d love to meet you and discuss your next steps. Book a free consultation.

Become Your Best Self

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Become Your Best Self 〰️

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Alexandria Williams
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