Coaching or Counseling? How are they different?
Coaching and Counseling each has their own focus and purpose.
Coaching focuses primarily on setting and achieving new insights, improving skills, ability and knowledge through goals set by the client. The focus is more “present to future” vs. “past to present” or “where you want to be, vs. where you have been”. A meeting framework is normally agreed upon (i.e. 6 or 8 meetings) to provide a structure for client goal setting and accountability.
Coaching and Counseling do share some common elements – both treat the conversation as confidential (with legal limits); both require the person providing the service to have training specific to their role and expertise; each makes use of certain skills to help establish and build a relationship to address client goals and issues.
While there are similarities, there are significant differences in the focus of the relationship.
Counseling or Therapy focuses on addressing and resolving emotional and mental health issues that are interfering with current life functioning and abilities. The professional has training and licensing specific to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues (e.g. depression, trauma, high anxiety). Meeting with the client is normally centered around addressing and reducing the impact of the mental health concern on daily living.
Coaching is the process of helping others reach new heights while they gain and improve skills, ability, and knowledge in order to better perform a task or job, to become more productive and have greater satisfaction in their role or as an integrated member of a team.
Call SWMN Synod Coaching to learn more about how coaching might support you in your ministry as a rostered leader or a congregation.
Written by Rick Loseth, SWMN Synod Coach
SWMN Synod Coaches are offering our reflections on coaching over the next several months. We hope you will consider coaching as one of the valuable tools in our synod toolbox as we work together to support God’s mission and the health of the church in our corner of the world.