Coaching or counseling?

The Daily Inter Lake

Life coaching and therapy might sound interchangeable, but therapists and coaches stress there are basic differences between the two practices.

Therapists generally work with people who need to resolve a psychological problem or disorder.

Coaches assist people who want advice and guidance on how to effect change in their lives (such as making career moves) rather than working on a psychological problem.

When coaches are approached by someone who seems like a better candidate for therapy than for coaching, coaches say they refer that person to a therapist.

. Therapists often work with clients to discover the psychological roots of their problems, such as depression or anxiety, by looking at their pasts. Coaches focus on clients' present situation and where they want to go and what they want to accomplish in the future.

. Therapists frequently aid patients in resolving internal, psychological issues. Coaches work with clients to deal with external problems, such as setting priorities to free up time in their days.

Some people in the counseling industry oppose life coaching on the grounds that coaches aren't regulated like therapy practitioners are, Whitefish counselor Steve Bryson says.

"But there's a lot of therapists out there that see coaching as a continuum of care," he said.

Coaching can complement therapy and sometimes people would benefit more from coaching because they don't have true psychological problems or disorders, he said.

"A lot of people don't need therapy," Kalispell counselor Philip Crissman acknowledged.

Life coaching is part of a growing trend for people to recognize they're responsible for their lives and can make changes if they want to, he says. Making those changes often requires support and objective guidance, but not therapy, he says. Crissman, a friend of Bigfork coach Rebecca Johns, is familiar with the principles of coaching.

Crissman, Bryson and local life coaches Johns, Carrie Bowes Bowman and Dru Jackman recommend checking references of life coaches and asking about their backgrounds and training before choosing someone to work with.