The Difference Between Therapy and Coaching

Therapists and Coaching are two different things. What’s the difference? Coaches are not trained mental health workers trained to help you address psychotherapy, emotional and interpersonal problems.  They are not medical experts.  They are not healers or there to “fix you.” 

A coach is there to offer you support when understanding the ADHD diagnosis (core symptoms- inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity) and the core impairments (such as-planning, time management, goal setting, organization, and problem solving). Each client is the expert in their own life and work. A coach is to act as a catalyst to evoke a client’s creativity, self-knowledge, and wisdom. They can work alongside a therapist or other mental health professionals. 

Coaches are trained professionals who are skilled at helping clients reach their goals, set action plans, and can be an accountability partner. Coaching promotes reflection and self-discovery by asking curious, open-ended questions to help a client develop their own personalized approach to meeting their goals and enhanced understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. 

Coaches also provide a level of awareness around issues that are important to the client. For example, think of a goal that’s set.  A coach might help explore what is getting in the way from the task not being accomplished and break down why. The coach would then work with a client to move forward.  

ADHD coaches are focused on making actions more automatic and easier to start or restart when interruptions and distractions occur. Coaches help harness a client’s own natural motivation and learn ways to become motivated in order to meet the emotional and attentional requirements of the task at hand. They are there to help a client be proactive and empower them. A coach helps people concentrate on where they are now, where they want to be, and how they can get there.