Life Coaching vs therapy, Which is right for me?

Please note: This information is not intended as medical advice and is provided in good faith by Nick Hatter Ltd. If you are suffering from psychological disorders or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you should speak to a doctor as soon as possible.

Life coaching and therapy are both wonderful tools for personal development. But like every tool, there are benefits as well as limitations.

While there may be some overlap between the two, in that they help you understand yourself better, and both have therapeutic potential, they do differ in both their focus and their approach.

Of course, not all therapists are the same, and neither are all life coaches. Ultimately, the success of a modality will come down to the skill, dedication and care of the practitioner.

If you would like to take your life to the next level and make positive changes, then life coaching is for you.

Life Coaching	Therapy
Has its basis in personal growth and development	Has its basis in medical and clinical settings
Focuses on unlocking potential, positive action, achieving life objectives, improving life satisfaction	Focuses on treating mental health conditions, trauma and dysfunction
Focuses more on the present, future and objectives	Focuses more on the past and present
Provides deep insight, accountability, motivation, action plans, new ideas and moral support	Provides psychological treatment and support
Changes beliefs for the purpose of achieving goals, improving general well-being, performance, productivity and confidence	Changes beliefs and perspectives for the purpose of mental health treatment
Tends to have longer sessions and can include contact between sessions	Tends to be more time-limited and much more boundaried
Results can be both internal and external (addresses both mind and external world)	Results are typically felt internally (addresses mental health)
Has lots of therapeutic potential, can achieve results quickly, though may be unsuitable for highly dysfunctional clients	Has potential for personal growth but can take a long time to achieve results