Differences Between a Life Coach and a Therapist

Clients who have found me through Psychology Today are often seeking a therapist. I inform them that I am not a therapist, but a professional Life Coach, also trained in hypnotherapy, to effectively support their goals and the changes they seek. I am clear about pointing out the difference during our 30-minute consultation, which is a free service. 

What is a Life Coach? 

A Life Coach is trained to provide guidance and advice to help individuals take positive action to reach or exceed personal or professional goals, including focusing on behavior, attitudes, and habits. As a Life Coach, I create a supportive and informative setting by beginning with a series of questions, similar to an interview, and follow-up discussion points tailored to each person, which serve as a guide. This structure creates a framework and literally a clear map of where we are in working together and where the person wants to end up. Each session aims to produce a result that may include “homework,” such as practicing a mind-body anxiety-reducing exercise learned in a session or writing observations about their behavior (negative self-thinking or noticing emotions that trigger an eating response) between sessions. I provide tools, techniques, and resources to support my client's goals and desired changes.

As a Life Coach, I trained in hypnotherapy because it can offer a perfect solution in a few sessions for many of my clients. People seek me out to help them address specific issues, including increasing self-confidence, addressing attitudes and behaviors that affect relationships, improving their relationship with food, and becoming more proactive rather than procrastinating. Hypnosis works by relaxing the conscious “thinking” mind and tapping into the power of your subconscious mind, where emotions, habits, behavior, memories, and imagination are stored. Hypnotherapy allows us to gently unravel those fixed mindsets, creating positive change from within. 

Life Coaching vs. Therapy

People work with therapists when they suspect a mental health condition, need help processing past trauma, or struggle with managing difficult emotions and behaviors. Therapists will focus on the past and present; healing from trauma, managing emotional distress, and treating mental health disorders. Their approach is evidence-based methods like CBT or DBT, exploring deep-seated patterns and providing clinical treatment. The scope of the conditions therapists work with includes depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and other mental challenges.

I welcome your questions and comments by emailing me at sherry@sherryrhynard.com.