Therapy vs. Coaching: What's the Difference?

At Invited, we are a team of licensed psychotherapists and certified coaches whose mission is to support our clients in creating a fully-expressed, fully-potentiated life. As our name suggests, we offer both psychotherapy and coaching, and we feel strongly that these services complement, not compete with, one another. This is because we see many clients who seek to optimize their performance and wellbeing, but who do not qualify for a mental health diagnosis. From an ethical perspective, we are boundaried about assigning a medical diagnosis when it does not apply. In other words, in the presence of symptoms of mental illness, such as pervasive anxiety, depressed mood, and decreased functioning, we recommend psychotherapy. In the absence of those symptoms, we recommend coaching.

There is much overlap between the skills, interventions and strategies applied in psychotherapy and coaching, but there are also key differences. Let's explore some of the factors that distinguish the two.

Psychotherapy is a clinical intervention that seeks to treat symptoms associated with mental illness. It requires a medical diagnosis and a determination of medical necessity. Psychotherapy aims to build resilience and develop skills to cope with overwhelm and distress. It involves the identification of maladaptive patterns and behaviors that exacerbate one's symptoms and the resultant functional impairment. Symptom management or elimination is often a goal of psychotherapy. In psychotherapy, we evaluate early-life stressors and experiences that have shaped those patterns, and with regular sessions, we seek to "rewire" those patterns. Empathy, compassion and validation are important tools applied in psychotherapy to establish a sense of trust, safety and therapeutic alliance. At its best, psychotherapy empowers individuals with the agency to choose between old, dysfunctional conditioning and authentic, values-aligned living.

Coaching, on the other hand, assumes mental health. It tends to be more direct, action-oriented, and future-focused. Coaching does not require a diagnosis of any sort, and any individual who meets the diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder should not be considered for coaching services. With coaching, the frequency of sessions is varied, and can range from weekly to monthly or even quarterly. While the focus of psychotherapy is to restore functioning in cases of functional impairment, the focus of coaching is to optimize the performance of an already high-functioning individual.

Despite these important distinctions, the Invited approach to both psychotherapy and coaching share a few compelling similarities. Both services involve the process of problem identification, goal setting, and monitoring progress. Both prioritize self awareness and values alignment as key growth strategies. And, what distinguishes us from most other practices is our functional, integrative approach to both psychotherapy and coaching that honors the brilliance of the mind-body system. Ultimately, in both psychotherapy and coaching, our goal is for our clients to reclaim their bandwidth, overcome their limitations, and fulfill their highest potential. We hope you'll join us.