How is coaching distinct from other service professions?
Professional coaching is a distinct service, which focuses on an individuals life as it relates to goal setting, outcome creation and personal change. In an effort to understand what a coach is, it can be helpful to distinguish coaching from other professions that provide personal or organizational support. • Therapy. Coaching can be distinguished from therapy in a number of ways. First, coaching is a profession that supports personal and professional growth and development based on individual-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is forward moving and future focused. Therapy, on the other hand, deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or a relationship between two or more individuals.
—Coaching can be distinguished from therapy in a number of ways. First, coaching is a profession that supports personal and professional growth and development based on individual-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is forward moving and future focused. Therapy, on the other hand, deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or a relationship between two or more individuals. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past which hamper an individual’s emotional functioning in the present, improving overall psychological functioning, and dealing with present life and work circumstances in more emotionally healthy ways. Consulting—Consultants may be retained by individuals or organizations for the purpose of accessing specialized expertise.
Professional coaching is a distinct service that focuses on a client’s life as it relates to goal setting, outcome creation and personal change management. In an effort to understand what a coach is; it can be helpful to distinguish coaching from other professions that provide personal or organizational support.
