When I tell people I am a Life Coach and a Counsellor they often ask me what is the difference between the two. They are both helping roles but there are a few differences I will explain here.
People who seek the help of a counsellor have often found themselves in a predicament they cannot seem to find a way out of. Or they may have suffered a bereavement/loss or are facing some kind of crisis that is really getting them down. If you are going through a challenging time right now, you may be considering counselling.
A counsellor can help with:
- They can help you find clarity and perspective on the problems you are facing
- They can give you space to be yourself and the opportunity to be open and honest about how you are feeling
- Help you to accept yourself and others
- Put issues in the past to rest
- Helping you to move forward
- Discover more about yourself and become more self aware
Counselling is not coaching and it is not about providing solutions and telling you what to do.
In contrast Life coaching is about working with you and focusing on what you really want. To this effect, we work on an action plan which is using SMART ( specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timed) goals to help you attain what you are seeking. As a life coach I help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and then eliminate what is not working in your life. Goal setting and achieving them is really important in Life coaching. When you reach those goals, you will feel very empowered and it’s great for building confidence.