How is Coaching Different than Therapy?

So, how is coaching different from therapy?

This is a question I've been reflecting on, so I thought I'd share a little about what I've learned and understand so far.

As a therapist, I've gathered a fair bit of information about things people struggle with and what seems to help. Not just what the textbooks say will help, but what actually helps in practice. It's not always the same. The thing is that therapy is not really about information and information is not therapy. Therapy is all about the process. It's about the relationship and interaction of a skilled, attentive, and empathetic other with the client. Fortunately for me, I authentically enjoy that process. It's a little like surfing. Every wave is different. You never really know what's going to happen, but you take off and do your best to dance with what the wave presents to you. Therapy is kind of like that. Even with the same client, every session is a little different. As a therapist, I am the keeper of the process, the dance. I share "psycho-educational" information when it serves a particular client but I'm not a teacher exactly.

As a therapist, I diminish the dance if I prioritize the teaching over the process. Therapy takes time, in many cases years. That's because it takes time for your psyche and nervous system to adjust to new modes of functioning. But, information, doesn't hurt. That's where the coaching piece comes in.

Coaching, as I understand it, is going to be more information, more predetermined structure, and less process. I will be using the information I've learned in a way that can help people but I won't be guiding their process in as intimate of a way. It is still a process but it's very different than the "therapeutic process." In the program I design, it will be weeks not years. Right now I'm thinking 8 weeks to start. For the record, that doesn't mean I think I'm going to pack years of therapy into weeks. This will be more of a curriculum with specific subject matter that I think is most generally relevant for most people based on my experience. It will be a little slanted towards issues I see coming up for men in relationships.

So for me, even though I have all this information in my mind, and I'm confident in the value of that information, learning to teach it in this way is going to be completely new to me. I will still be supporting the folks I work with through the process. I will be using my skills as a therapist and helping them apply the information to their own lives and relationships, but there will be more responsibility on the participants to take the information and use it in a way that serves them. I'm looking at it as more of offering a strong starting point than taking folks from start to finish like I do as a therapist.

I've always enjoyed trying out new challenges and learning and growing from them. I have little doubt that this will be the same and that's how I'm looking at it. A new challenge. Something to learn, an opportunity to grow, improve and refine.

Thanks for metaphorically listening as I reflect on these things.

I hope you have a good day and take good care of yourself,

Chris