Counseling vs Coaching
To help you figure out the best form of support for your personal needs, it's important to differentiate counseling and coaching.
Coaching vs. Counseling: Key Differences
Counseling and coaching are both a part of the wellness continuum. Coaching can be a part of the counseling process, but coaching is different from counseling. While both counseling and health and wellness coaching aim to support personal growth, the key difference lies in their focus: counseling typically delves deeper into past experiences and emotional issues to address underlying mental health concerns, while health and wellness coaching primarily focuses on empowering individuals to make positive lifestyle changes and achieve specific health goals in the present and future, often without addressing deep-rooted psychological problems.
What is Counseling?
The American Counseling Association defines counseling as "a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals." Counselors require a minimum of a master's-level training, as well as additional licensure to complete thousands of supervised hours. Counselors may be licensed professional counselors (LPC) with a mental health service provider designation (MHSP), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), and marriage and family therapists (MFT).
Our LPC-MHSPs adhere to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and, in the state of Tennessee, to the Rules and Regulations pertaining to the Tennessee Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Pastoral Therapists.
What is Coaching?
The Center for Credentialing and Education defines coaching as Coaching is "a professional practice in which the coach has specialized education, training, and experience to help coachees identify specific goals, collaborate with coachees on solutions, and offer strategies that assist individuals, groups, and organizations in reaching identified goals."
Likewise, the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching defines certified coaches as "credentialed members of the healthcare industry who serve as behavior change agents and are trained to the highest standard in the profession. As partners with clients in the behavior change process, NBC-HWCs empower, support, and guide individuals looking to enhance their well-being through self-directed lasting changes that align with their values. National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWCs) engage individuals and groups in evidence-based, client-centered processes that facilitate and empower clients to develop and achieve self-determined, health and wellness goals. Coaches assist clients to use their own insight, personal strengths, and resources to set goals, commit to action steps, and establish accountability in building an envisioned healthy lifestyle."
In this context, we refer to Coaching separately and more specifically as a Health and Wellness Coach. Although Coaching is not as highly regulated as the Counseling profession, Inner Alchemy Counseling & Therapeutic Arts holds our Coaches to a high standard, requiring training from a reputable Coaching program, certification through the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching (NBCWC), and the Board Certified Coach Credential.
Our coaches adhere to the Board of Certified Counselors Code of Ethics.
Health and wellness coaching empowers clients to improve health and well-being through lifestyle changes. Health coaches provide support, accountability, and guidance to help clients set goals, create action plans, and celebrate progress. They assist with weight management, stress, sleep, and chronic illness, among many other areas.
While similar to talk therapy, coaching is client-led, focusing on setting and achieving wellness goals rather than diagnosing mental health issues. Health coaches complement therapists and counselors by working holistically on behavior change, often collaborating with other health professionals to reinforce treatment and support overall wellness. Unlike therapists, health coaches focus more on practical health goals rather than exploring emotional trauma or diagnosing mental health conditions.
A health and wellness coach is a professional who helps people improve their health and well-being by:
Health and wellness coaches can help with a variety of health issues, including:
Coaching vs. Counseling: Key Differences
- Focus: Counseling addresses past traumas and emotional healing, while coaching targets present challenges and future goals.
- Mental Illness: Therapists are trained to treat mental illness; coaches are not.
- Relationship: Counselors offer guidance and support; coaches act as "thinking partners," promoting accountability and goal achievement.
- Training: Counselors require advanced degrees and specific expertise; coaches focus on process and development.
- Approach: Counseling sessions are generally unstructured; coaching is more structured with actionable strategies.
Counseling and coaching are both a part of the wellness continuum. Coaching can be a part of the counseling process, but coaching is different from counseling. While both counseling and health and wellness coaching aim to support personal growth, the key difference lies in their focus: counseling typically delves deeper into past experiences and emotional issues to address underlying mental health concerns, while health and wellness coaching primarily focuses on empowering individuals to make positive lifestyle changes and achieve specific health goals in the present and future, often without addressing deep-rooted psychological problems.
What is Counseling?
The American Counseling Association defines counseling as "a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals." Counselors require a minimum of a master's-level training, as well as additional licensure to complete thousands of supervised hours. Counselors may be licensed professional counselors (LPC) with a mental health service provider designation (MHSP), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), and marriage and family therapists (MFT).
Our LPC-MHSPs adhere to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and, in the state of Tennessee, to the Rules and Regulations pertaining to the Tennessee Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Pastoral Therapists.
What is Coaching?
The Center for Credentialing and Education defines coaching as Coaching is "a professional practice in which the coach has specialized education, training, and experience to help coachees identify specific goals, collaborate with coachees on solutions, and offer strategies that assist individuals, groups, and organizations in reaching identified goals."
Likewise, the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching defines certified coaches as "credentialed members of the healthcare industry who serve as behavior change agents and are trained to the highest standard in the profession. As partners with clients in the behavior change process, NBC-HWCs empower, support, and guide individuals looking to enhance their well-being through self-directed lasting changes that align with their values. National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWCs) engage individuals and groups in evidence-based, client-centered processes that facilitate and empower clients to develop and achieve self-determined, health and wellness goals. Coaches assist clients to use their own insight, personal strengths, and resources to set goals, commit to action steps, and establish accountability in building an envisioned healthy lifestyle."
In this context, we refer to Coaching separately and more specifically as a Health and Wellness Coach. Although Coaching is not as highly regulated as the Counseling profession, Inner Alchemy Counseling & Therapeutic Arts holds our Coaches to a high standard, requiring training from a reputable Coaching program, certification through the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching (NBCWC), and the Board Certified Coach Credential.
Our coaches adhere to the Board of Certified Counselors Code of Ethics.
Health and wellness coaching empowers clients to improve health and well-being through lifestyle changes. Health coaches provide support, accountability, and guidance to help clients set goals, create action plans, and celebrate progress. They assist with weight management, stress, sleep, and chronic illness, among many other areas.
While similar to talk therapy, coaching is client-led, focusing on setting and achieving wellness goals rather than diagnosing mental health issues. Health coaches complement therapists and counselors by working holistically on behavior change, often collaborating with other health professionals to reinforce treatment and support overall wellness. Unlike therapists, health coaches focus more on practical health goals rather than exploring emotional trauma or diagnosing mental health conditions.
A health and wellness coach is a professional who helps people improve their health and well-being by:
- Identifying goals and creating a plan to achieve them
- Providing support and encouragement
- Helping clients overcome obstacles
- Connecting clients with resources
- Focusing on results
- Celebrating clients' achievements
Health and wellness coaches can help with a variety of health issues, including:
- Weight loss
- Stress reduction
- Managing chronic conditions
- Improving diet and exercise
- Tobacco cessation
- Addiction
- Adjusting to a life-altering health event