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Differences between coach and psychologist - life coaching
The life coach is often mistakenly confused with a psychologist or an alternative to a psychologist. Failure to distinguish between the roles and functions of these professions can be detrimental to clients seeking solutions to their problems. Although the coach has valuable tools, many acquired from psychology, it is critical to understand that a life coach and a psychologist do not serve the same function.
In this guide, we will address the key differences between the life coaching profession and that of a psychologist, in order to better delineate the roles and particularities of the life coach in addressing the needs of his or her clients.
Psychologists are health professionals trained to treat problems related to disorders and afflictions that arise in the patient's psyche. Their work focuses on the identification and treatment of psychological disorders that affect the patient's social, family or professional life. A psychologist is a health professional, not a counselor or guide.
The life coach, on the other hand, uses his or her training, both empirical and theoretical, to help clients overcome obstacles through strategies and actions. The coach does not work specifically on mental health in a clinical way, but focuses on the client's personal and emotional development. Although the coach can positively influence the emotional state of their client, they are not trained to treat psychological disorders, as a psychologist would.
A fundamental difference is that the psychologist does not fulfill a counseling role, while the coach does. The psychologist diagnoses clinical problems and orients treatments to heal the patient's ailments. The coach, on the other hand, proposes strategies based on his or her experience to help solve problems, but does not make a clinical diagnosis or direct specific treatments for mental health conditions.
The coach uses psychological tools to work with the client's emotions, helping them to manage stress, improve their self-esteem or overcome emotional obstacles. However, their work does not involve the treatment of mental illness. If a diagnosed psychological disorder or condition is identified, the coach should refer the client to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
The coach's job is to guide and help the client to improve his or her emotional well-being, but not to replace the work of a psychologist. Similarly, a psychologist will not address issues related to self-improvement or emotional growth from a counseling perspective, as a coach would. Both professionals have different roles and must respect the limits of their competencies in order to offer the best service to their clients.
