18 Jun Do You Need a Success Coach, Life Coach, or Therapist?
There are times in life we encounter challenges that may be too daunting to face on our own. While having the support of friends and family is important, sometimes it is beneficial to speak to someone who is not biased towards us. Our friends and family sometimes might tell us what we want to hear and may find it difficult to remain objective. This is when it may be helpful to speak to outside entities such as a coach or therapist. Here, we breakdown the differences between a coach and therapist so you can decide which service is most beneficial for you and who can help you the most with achieving your goals.
Life Coach and Success Coach
A life coach is a professional who works with people on identifying goals that they would want to achieve to improve certain areas of their lives. These goals can include finding a career that you are passionate about, improving self esteem, and improving relationships. Life coaches can also work with people on identifying what obstacles they are facing while trying to achieve their goals and a plan to manage those obstacles. They will provide unbiased and objective feedback.
Much like a life coach, a success coach works with people towards meeting their goals. The difference is that most people who are seeking out a success coach have an idea of what they want their goals to look like and the goals tend to be more specific and more measurable. For example, a business owner may seek out a success coach to work towards increasing their income. A college student may seek out a success coach to improve their grades. They will also provide unbiased and objective feedback.
Therapist
A therapist can provide a lot of the services a life and success coach can provide while also focusing on any mental health symptoms you may be experiencing. A therapist will work with you on identifying and setting goals but will also provide coping skills that you can utilize to manage any mental health symptoms that you may be experiencing such as anxiety and depression. They will also provide unbiased and objective feedback.
A therapist is ideal for someone who notices that anxiety and depression symptoms may be the main obstacle to achieving their goals. They can provide a solution focused approach that teaches you how to focus on a solution to a problem instead of the problem itself. They can also work with you on navigating past traumas that may also act as an obstacle to achieving your goals.
A therapist will collaborate with you to formulate a treatment plan where you both will work together to identify strategies to best help you achieve your goals. People commonly seek out a therapist when they want to learn how to manage mental health symptoms that are negatively impacting their relationships, academics, and careers.
How to Decide if You Need a Coach or Therapist
Now that you know a little bit more about what a life coach, success coach, and a therapist do, you can make your decision on which type of provider you may want to choose. If you find yourself experiencing mental health symptoms that are preventing you from achieving your goals, a therapist would be the best option since they not only help you identify and set goals, they can also teach you coping skills to address mental health symptoms. If you are ready to start your journey towards achieving your goals, contact us at 212-433-2384 or info@parkavenuepsychotherapy.com and we would be happy to help!