The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”  

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I usually answer the question of “Therapy versus coaching” with an analogy using other professionals most people are familiar with: physical therapists and personal trainers. 

If you have a medical problem related to your physical body and movement, you might see a physical therapist. Talk therapy, much like physical therapy, is rooted in the medical model. A person is diagnosed with a problem and the therapist “prescribes” different exercises to help alleviate symptoms. In time, the diagnosed issue may resolve completely. 

 

But who do you see if your body is overall functioning normally, but you want to make it even better? A personal trainer or coach. A personal trainer will ask questions like “Do you want to lose fat?” or “Do you want to run a marathon?” and then helps a person move toward their own goals. If a particular exercise doesn’t work for you, collectively you come up with new ones. It is the same with life and leadership coaching. Unlike the medical model where the client does what they’re told, coaches work with a person to develop that individual’s own goals, then help them to accomplish those goals with no judgement.

 

As a Certified Professional Coach (CPC), I work with people to better understand their own values, beliefs, and goals then offer a framework to partner and collaborate with them as they move toward those goals. My coaching work is focused on helping a person find fulfillment in their life by purposefully living their values. At times this includes intentional work on accepting life and our abilities as they are as we shift the focus toward maximizing our strengths.