Life Coach vs Therapist: Which is better for me?
This is one of the hardest topics to write about because it assumes that I know what is going on inside of the reader. To adequately address which professional is the best for you to meet with means that I can write a checklist that is all-inclusive of your needs. That checklist cannot be written. I do believe that inside each of us, we have the innate ability to assess the answers for ourselves, but a facilitator is necessary to help us reach inside and look at all the issues that are causing us to stand at a crossroads or in transition.
Finding a New Path
When we ask ourselves the questions; why is everything so hard, what is causing all of this or why me, we are really experiencing a place in our journey where we need to find a new path or a new course. As human beings, we prefer consistency and we prefer to not deal with the “hard stuff”. But life is full of hard stuff. Most of us cannot fix our own automobiles. The work is too technical and we do not have the tools to complete the job. Some of us believe that we could do the work and we get started and then make a complete mess of the engine. Some of us ignore the problem and find ourselves on the side of the road calling AAA for roadside assistance. Some of us go to our mechanic regularly and when we face car problems, we are ready for the problem and have it fixed before our long journey.
I want to encourage you to see yourself as the owner of your car. You are on life’s journey. Because of that journey, you need all of the tools that you can have to make sure that your journey is safe and that you can fix anything along the way. A Life Coach is the person that can help facilitate a discussion and help you build the tool kit for your journey. A Therapist is a professional who is there when things go desperately wrong physically or mentally. I will explain further the difference.
Struggling and Dealing with Inner Demons
My niece, Susan is the bravest and most courageous woman that I know. She has battled mental health issues and addiction for many years. It is so difficult to watch someone that you love battle issues that are beyond their control. She has persevered and reached goals that didn’t seem possible. I asked her once, “how do you know what is wrong with you inside”? “What does it feel like”? She was very clear in her answer, “I know that there is something wrong with me. I feel like I am living life in another reality from everyone else. I have to daily fight the demons in my mind and the ongoing desire to hurt myself.” My niece recently knew that she needed help and checked herself into inpatient care. She has a team of Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Medical Providers to help her with the chemicals and physical issues that cause her mental illness. These professionals specialize in issues that are physically and mentally challenging and potentially harmful if left untreated.
Living an unbalanced life
My friend, James, is the smartest and most amazing man that I have witnessed. He is intelligent, bordering on genius, and very successful in his career. The area that causes him much sadness is in the area of relationships. His experiences are like a scale where the career is tipped all of the way to the bottom, while the relationship scale has very little on its side to balance the rest of his life. He is very clear that his heart has been broken by many women who have not treated his heart with care. This imbalance in his experiences causes him to be very imbalanced in how he relates to new relationships. James is a perfect candidate for a Life Coach. James could find the answers in himself with a facilitator who can ask him the right questions and help him look at the past and examine it thoughtfully and honestly without judgment or blame.
If my friend, James has the same issue only in reverse, his career was not successful or was non-existent and his relationships were flourishing, he would also be a prime candidate for a Life Coach. Life experiences create a mental picture for us in our memory bank. Unfortunately, when we file that picture into our memory, we don’t always categorize it in a way that is supportive or helpful or honest. A great Life Coach will help you to pull out those photographs and look at the album of your life through a much better lens and to be much more supportive of you. You are special and valuable.
Are You a Candidate for a Life Coach?
In closing, if you are experiencing issues that are causing you to be out of control, harming yourself or having mental and physical symptoms, please see a therapist. There is no shame and asking for help.
If you are using old stories and experiences to keep you from finding happiness, passion and joy, then a Life Coach would be the right choice for you.
When choosing your Life Coach, interview them and ask questions that will help you to see if you can connect and be honest with them. The relationship with your Life Coach will be successful if you are honest and trusting of them and of the process.
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see if you could benefit from and are a good candidate for life coaching.