Coach vs Therapist vs Consultant
I get asked surprisingly often what the difference is between a therapist, a coach, and a consultant. I thought I would define those here in order to help anyone looking for support to select the right person for their needs.
I get asked surprisingly often what the difference is between a therapist, a coach, and a consultant. I thought I would define those here in order to help anyone looking for support to select the right person for their needs.
Coaches, therapists, and consultants all play a role in the development of individuals and groups, but all offer unique perspectives and tools. It can often be difficult to assess what you most need and even what type of person you are engaging with. To make matters extra confusing, people who call themselves therapists can behave like coaches, people who call themselves coaches can behave like consultants and so on. These categories are intended to give you a framework to ask questions as you start to interview and meet potential coaches, therapists, and consultants.
Therapists
Therapists are highly trained and certified mental health professionals and really focus on the mental well being of their clients (and sometimes groups such as couples and families but also founders). They can help diagnose you if you are suffering with a disorder or disease and refer you for medical help if it makes sense. I like to think of them as helping your past self catch up with your present self. If you’re in need of unpacking something from your past that continues to haunt you, a therapist can be an amazing resource. There are a wide variety of therapy philosophies and a few different educational backgrounds. You’ll want to understand a therapist’s approach when you are considering working with them.
Coaches
Just like therapists, coaches have a variety of backgrounds but a key difference is that there is almost no pervasive regulation in coaching. While there are certifications, many coaches do not hold them. Coaches are more focused on taking your present self and helping propel you into your potential. Each coach will have a sense of what that means to them and you’ll want to understand their orientation. Most coaches do not have therapy backgrounds and will not take clients who are suffering with any kind of mental health crisis. They offer tools and frameworks and then provide a safe space to practice. They can help you identify your strengths, patterns that are holding you back, and offer you reflections to see yourself even more clearly.
Consultants
Consultants are experts. They have deep knowledge in a subject area and/or discipline and can help you or your business develop in a particular area. Consultants can focus on helping you and/or your team grow in a particular skillset or function. They are particularly great at helping you do something for the first time. Some examples are help building a go-to-market strategy for a new product you’re offering or help you understanding new developments in AI and how they can apply to your business. Consultants may also call themselves advisors or contractors. You’ll hear the word “fractional” in this category to refer to someone who holds a small part of a role. Fractional Product and Revenue leaders are common examples. When working with consultants you can expect them to offer a lot of tools, research, examples, and most importantly, advice grounded in experience.
Have you worked with any of these professionals? What would you add? Reach out and let me know!
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