As the profession of Coaching gets more press, more and more people from all walks of life, not just executives and senior business leaders, want to know more about what it is, how it works, and how it benefits them. No surprise there’s a lot of confusion as it’s a relatively young profession compared to other growth/knowledge tools such as Training.
A common misconception of Coaching is that it’s therapy. Far from it! So what’s the difference?
Coaching is designed to support clients in their growth by deepening their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life. Unlike therapy, Coaching does not focus on relieving psychological pain or treating disorders.
Coaching is about moving forward, and concentrates on the present (what I refer to as the client’s inventory of strengths, values, and motivators), and the future (the client’s goals, vision, passions, and purpose). By contrast therapy’s focus is the past and its impact of the present.
This misconception between the two often fuels the reticence to immediately embrace Coaching, and why many shy away from Coaching. After all, and quite simply… there’s nothing wrong with you; and with Coaching we shine a very bright light on where you are, clarify where you want to go, then work diligently together to support you in getting there.