Do you need a coach or a counsellor? Is there a difference?

There is often confusion on behalf of the client and even the coach on whether a coach or a counsellor/therapist is appropriate for the person seeking support.

My story

Luckily, I have had experience of both being counselled and coached. This is what I have learned about when to seek a coach and when to reach out to a therapist.

When counselling helped

I have at different times sought help from both a counsellor and coach. How did I decide when to seek whom? This is how it happened. For the last 25 years, I have had Meniere's Disease, a movement and balance disorder of the inner ear. 10 years the anxiety about getting vertigo made me so anxious that I refused to leave my bedroom. On the ENT specialist's advice, I undertook counselling and was also prescribed anti-anxiety medicine by the psychiatrist. It was counselling that made me functional again, a coach would not have had the knowledge or skills to treat my anxiety and help me modify my behaviour. I also needed a psychiatrist to prescribe medicine to bring me to a point where I was open to therapy. Only a psychiatrist can do that, not a counsellor, definitely not a coach.

When coaching helped

As all of you who have gone through coaching training and also those who are professional coaches with practice know very well, a coach must undergo regular coaching sessions with a supervising coach. This helps coaches stay on track with their purpose as a coach. This process is done for clinical psychologists and psychiatrists as well who also have professionals from their fields supervising them.

The point of this rather long preamble is to say that once I started training in coaching, we were all required to undergo coaching regularly as well. My coach helped me greatly to identify my work priorities and stay committed to building work boundaries for myself. I am still working on my people-pleasing at-work attitude and am learning with a coach on how to build my work profile. Only a coach, familiar with corporate structures could help me understand workflows and the art of delegating.

Now I am looking at expanding my horizon at work with the help of a coach who will support my journey to being commercial-minded.

When you first start coaching, the temptation can be strong to 'help' the client, especially if you see them in emotional distress over an issue. This is why having a supervising coach is extremely important for a professional coach. Both coaches and their clients can cross the line between counselling and coaching.

Choosing between counselling and coaching

The International Coach Federation (ICF) has released resources to guide professional coaches through the process of referring a client to psychotherapy.

Referring a Client to Therapy: A Set of Guidelines is a white paper by ICF Senior Research Analyst Alicia M. Hullinger, Ph.D., and Director of Coaching Science Joel A. DiGirolamo. It’s designed to help professional coach practitioners understand when and how to refer a client to a mental health or other helping professional when the client’s needs are outside a coach’s competencies.

In my personal experience here are the main differences between needing a coach or a counsellor:

Goals and aspirations: If you have specific goals you want to achieve, such as improving your performance in a certain area or reaching a particular milestone, a coach can provide guidance and support to help you succeed. A counsellor can also help you there but they are usually trained to help you modify behaviour that is not serving you or is even harmful and to regulate your emotions. While a coach will help you acknowledge your emotions around a goal or milestone, it is not within their mandate or expertise to provide therapy for mental health challenges.

Mental Health and emotional well-being: If you are experiencing emotional difficulties, such as anxiety, depression, or relationship issues, a counsellor can help you explore your feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards overall mental and emotional well-being. As mentioned earlier, a coach is not trained to address mental health issues.

You experience behaviour that is harmful to yourself or others: If you feel your behaviour is destructive and limiting your life or impacting others in the same way, the choice is to go to a counsellor.

Accountability and motivation: If you struggle with staying motivated or accountable to your goals, a coach can provide structure, accountability, and motivation to help you stay on track.

To sum up a coach should refer the client to a counsellor when:

1. The issue is outside your competency and experience level

2. Issue interferes with daily functioning

3. The issue is a barrier to making progress in coaching

4. The issue is psychological and deals with deep-seated emotions

Other key signs include

1. Marked changes in mood such as irritability, anger, anxiety, or sadness

2. Decline in performance at work or school

3. Withdrawal from social relationships and activities

4. Changes in weight and appearance, including negligence of personal hygiene

5. Disturbances in sleep (either oversleeping or difficulty falling or staying asleep)

6. Expresses hopelessness or suicidal thought

Paarul Chand is the founder of Whyte Sky Coaching, coaching for life at work.