Therapy vs Coaching

Therapy

Regulated profession: Requires state licensure (e.g., LPCC)

  1. Focus: Healing past trauma, treating mental health disorders, improving emotional functioning

  2. Scope: Can diagnose, assess, and treat mental illness (e.g., anxiety, depression, PTSD)

  3. Client status: Works with “clients” or “patients” who may be in distress or crisis

  4. Goal: Relief of symptoms, emotional regulation, mental health stabilization

  5. Approach: Rooted in clinical models (CBT, psychodynamic, trauma-informed, etc.)

  6. Boundaries: Bound by HIPAA, state laws, ethics codes (e.g., dual relationships, documentation, duty to warn)

  7. Insurance: Often covered by insurance (billing codes required)

  8. Limitations: Can only treat clients in-person and virtually in the state(s) where you’re licensed

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Coaching

Unregulated profession: No formal licensure required

  1. Focus: Forward-focused growth, performance, and goal attainment

  2. Scope: Cannot diagnose or treat mental illness — instead helps clients improve habits, mindset, energy, or outcomes

  3. Client status: Works with functional, goal-oriented clients (not typically in acute distress)

  4. Goal: Personal growth, behavior change, performance optimization

  5. Approach: Action-oriented, uses tools like accountability, planning, mindset reframes, and habit tracking

  6. Boundaries: Not bound by HIPAA, but ethical practice still recommended (e.g., confidentiality, scope clarity)

  7. Insurance: Not covered — paid out-of-pocket (often premium pricing)

  8. Flexibility: Can coach clients in-person and virtually across state and country lines

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