Life Coach vs Therapist: Which Do You Need?

If you’re interested in personal growth, you might have considered getting professional help. While you have plenty of options to choose from, knowing who to go to can be confusing. You can use a certified life coach or a licensed therapist as your guide, but which one you’ll benefit from most depends on many factors, including your condition and goals. 

Life coaching and therapy are two common approaches people take today to improve mental health, strengthen relationships, and enhance self-image, but each caters to different needs and serves distinct purposes. One of the key differences between a life coach and a therapist is their approach and training. A life coach focuses on setting and achieving goals but might not address the underlying psychological issues causing you to struggle. A therapist is qualified to treat mental health conditions and emotional challenges that stem from past experiences or past trauma. 

Dive into the other differences between these two paths toward healing to determine whether you need a life coach vs. a therapist to support your journey. 

Key Differences Between Life Coaching and Therapy

To determine which you need, it’s important to understand the key differences between life coaching and therapy. 

• Life coaching focuses on specific goal-setting and personal development. It relies on future-oriented strategies designed to help you identify triggers or obstacles in your life that are preventing you from achieving your goals. In studies, life coaching was found effective in creating behavioral change and improving performance. 

• Therapy addresses mental health conditions and focuses on emotional healing from trauma. Depending on the type of therapy you engage in, you might spend time exploring past experiences to figure out how they’re impacting your current life. Research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can significantly improve quality of life and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Several factors can help you determine whether you should seek help from a life coach or therapist.  

Goals

When choosing between a life coach and a therapist, your goals can significantly influence your decision and determine which type of professional will be most helpful.

When to choose a life coach: If your goals are specific to the future and actionable — like you want to advance your career or start working out — a life coach can be ideal. Life coaches can help you:

• Set and achieve personal or professional objectives
• Stay focused on your end goal 
• Create a roadmap 
• Learn how to use goal-setting, action-planning, and performance-tracking tools

When to choose a therapist: If your therapy goals are geared toward overcoming or healing from emotional or psychological barriers, a therapist might be more appropriate and effective. Therapists are skilled and trained in helping you:

• Explore and resolve issues from your past or current conditions that may be preventing you from living your best life
• Deal with a mental health condition like anxiety, depression, or trauma
• Support and provide you with interventions that drive personal growth and healing
• Help you understand the root cause of your issues
• Guide you in developing coping skills

Topics covered

The topics you want to cover or address will impact whether you should see a life coach or therapist. Both can offer valuable support, but the nature of your issues is important to consider so you can get the best outcome.

When to choose a life coach: Life coaches can be great for personal and professional development or lifestyle improvements. Consider seeing a life coach if you want to:

• Enhance your career prospects
• Navigate career changes
• Improve time management
• Increase your productivity
• Achieve fitness and wellness goals
• Develop leadership skills
• Improve relationships
• Develop or enhance communication skills
• Increase motivation
• Improve your sense of self-worth

When to choose a therapist: Therapists go through extensive training to help with complex emotional issues or mental health conditions. You should see a therapist if you have concerns about:

• Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Emotional trauma from unresolved past experiences
• Relationship conflicts
• Poor family dynamics
• Stress management
• Grief and loss
• Behavioral issues
• Addictive behavior

Approach

Life coaches and therapists take different approaches to helping the people they work with. Their methodologies and techniques — and often their overall philosophy — toward personal growth can vary. It is important to determine which healing approach best aligns with your needs.

When to choose a life coach: Life coaches generally use forward-focused and results-driven approaches to treatment. Methods they commonly use include:

• Goal-setting
• Action planning
• Identifying and leveraging strengths
• Developing individual skills and strategies
• Using accountability
• Instilling motivation
• Encouraging self-discovery
• Relying on personal empowerment

When to choose a therapist: While both therapists and life coaches want to help you improve your quality of life, therapists use a more reflective and process-oriented approach. Common therapeutic methods include:

• Exploring how past experiences impact present thought and behavior patterns
• Addressing emotional and psychological issues through proven evidence-based therapeutic techniques, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Fostering emotional healing and resilience
• Diagnosing mental health conditions and creating treatment plans
• Sharing coping strategies that are effective in managing stress and anxiety

“Therapists are uniquely qualified to understand the struggles a person is going through and to find coping strategies for those emotional and mental health needs. They also work on understanding how certain behaviors and reactions develop based on history and environment.”

Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

Skills gained

The skills you aim to develop can guide you in choosing between a life coach and a therapist, as both professionals focus on skill-building.

When to choose a life coach: Life coaches can help you foster skills that drive personal and professional growth. Common skills you might gain after working with a life coach include:

• Goal-setting and strategic planning
• Time management
• Productivity
• Communication 
• Interpersonal skills
• Enhanced leadership
• Team building 
• Improved self-confidence
• Motivation
• Better decision-making
• Problem-solving

When to choose a therapist: A good therapist will help you develop skills to manage mental health challenges or emotional distress, highlighting the benefits of therapy. If you’re looking for overall psychological well-being, the skills you gain in therapy can include:

• Emotional regulation
• Resilience
• Stress management strategies
• Better self-awareness
• Ability to use introspection for growth
• Building healthy relationships
• Setting boundaries
• Using mindfulness and relaxation techniques effectively
• Learning to identify and change unhealthy and unhelpful thought and behavior patterns

Professional training

The amount of professional training a life coach vs. therapist has will vary. Once you understand the differences, your decision on who to work with can become clearer.

When to choose a life coach: Most life coaches undergo training that focuses on helping people seek personal development and reach their goals. A life coach typically goes through practical coaching and methodology training that might include:

• Completing certification programs from accredited organizations
• Taking goal-setting and motivational technique courses
• Enhancing communication skills for effectiveness
• Specializing in career, executive, or wellness coaching training

When to choose a therapist: Because therapists undergo extensive training in treating mental health, they’re equipped to help you address even complex emotional or psychological issues. 

Using evidence-based interventions and their deep understanding of mental health, therapists can help you address mental health challenges effectively and efficiently. Therapist’s qualifications generally include:

• Advanced degrees in psychology, counseling, social work, or psychiatry (LMHC, MA, MSc, LPC, LCSW-S, LCSW-R, BC-TMH, DSW, PsyD)
• Clinical training
• Supervised practice in diagnosing and treatment
• Licensure
• Continuing education that ensures professional standards are maintained
• Specialized training in specific therapeutic modalities and types of therapy

Structure & framework

A life coach or therapist’s structure and framework can influence your experience and treatment outcome. Knowing what to expect from each engagement can help determine who you’d be most comfortable working with.

When to choose a life coach: Life coaching can be characterized by a structured, goal-oriented framework. Their approach might be ideal if you thrive on setting and achieving goals. You also might enjoy the life coach interaction if you do better with an organized, results-driven framework. Key elements of working with a life coach could include:

• Action plans that offer clear and direct roadmaps to achieving your goals
• Regular check-ins and sessions that focus on the progress you’re making and address obstacles you’re facing
• Accountability on how committed you are to the process
• Short-term focus that offers tangible, quick results

When to choose a therapist: Therapy is a flexible, process-oriented framework. Key elements of structure you should expect when working with a therapist include:

• Exploration of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
• Exercises to guide self-discovery
• An adaptive pace suited to your comfort level
• Therapeutic techniques tailored to your mental health needs and conditions
• Possible long-term engagement that helps address deep-seated issues and focuses on long-term change

Duration & frequency

When deciding between a life coach and a therapist, it’s important to understand the differences in the duration and frequency of sessions to find the best fit for your lifestyle and needs.

Life coaching:

• Duration: Typically involves shorter engagements, ranging from a few weeks to a few months.
• Frequency: Sessions are usually more frequent, often weekly or biweekly, to maintain momentum towards achieving goals.
• Flexibility: Scheduling is often more flexible, accommodating busy or fluctuating schedules.

Therapy:

• Duration: Generally involves longer-term engagements, which can last several months to years, depending on the complexity of issues.
• Frequency: The frequency of sessions may vary, often starting weekly and potentially decreasing as progress is made.
• Depth: Sessions may be longer and more in-depth, focusing on exploring and resolving underlying issues.

Similarities Between a Life Coach and a Therapist

There are several similarities between a life coach and a therapist, including their shared goal of supporting your personal growth and mental well-being. Both professionals strive to create a safe, non-judgmental space for you to discuss your struggles and challenges openly. Additionally, they both employ a variety of techniques to help you make positive changes in your life.

Goals to improve well-being

Life coaches and therapists will both use goals to motivate you and guide your progress. Setting clear and achievable objectives helps you stay focused on positive change, so you’re more likely to see more substantial, faster growth.

Professional relationship

Whether you see a life coach or therapist, the relationship you develop with them will help you build trust that encourages open, productive dialogue. This relationship is built on mutual respect and understanding, creating a safe space for you to explore your thoughts and feelings without judgment.

Personal development

Personal development relies on identifying your strengths and finding opportunities for growth. A life coach or therapist can provide tools and effective strategies to help you do this. A life coach or therapist will help you uncover and utilize your potential, fostering a sense of empowerment and self-improvement.

Structured sessions

The structured sessions life coaches and therapists use can create consistency and a focused approach as you work on self-improvement. This structure provides a framework for your sessions, ensuring that each meeting is productive and moves you closer to your goals. 

Focus on change

Focusing on change is the fundamental goal when you’re trying to improve. Your life coach or therapist will support and keep you on track as you work toward lasting, positive outcomes. They help you identify areas where change is needed and develop strategies to create meaningful, sustainable change in your life.

“Therapists often wear many hats to help clients work through their issues. When clients seek therapy, they hope to find a professional who will help them understand their mental health capacity and struggles, learn coping skills to better manage their lives, and work on life stressors, to name a few. Each client is different in why they seek therapy, so each therapy journey is tailored to help with those specific struggles.”

  – Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

Work on Your Wellness with a Therapist

Taking the leap and deciding to improve your life is commendable. Whether you’re trying to improve your organizational skills, build better relationships, heal from trauma, or learn to manage symptoms of a mental health condition, knowing the difference between life coaching and therapy will help you work with the best professional to see real progress and growth. 

Online therapy from Talkspace can be an effective way to enhance your mental health and get the support you need to build a better life. Our licensed mental health professionals are experienced in treating any condition. Online therapy makes it easy, accessible, and affordable to get help. Reach out today to start therapy and become the best version of you.