What is Coaching

Coaching is one of the many "helping professions" that support personal and professional growth. While coaching shares similarities with counseling, consulting, mentoring, and other forms of guidance, it is distinct in its approach, purpose, and methodology. Understanding these differences is essential for setting appropriate expectations and ensuring that coaching is the right fit for your needs.

Counseling focuses on healing, emotional well-being, and addressing past trauma or psychological struggles. A counselor is a licensed professional trained to diagnose and treat mental health issues. Coaching, on the other hand, is forward-focused. It helps individuals gain clarity, set goals, and develop actionable strategies for growth. Coaches do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions but support clients in maximizing their potential.

Consulting involves providing expert advice, solutions, and recommendations based on a consultant’s specialized knowledge. Consultants analyze problems and offer answers. In coaching, the approach is different—the client is considered the expert in their own life and work. A coach asks powerful questions, facilitates reflection, and guides clients to discover their own solutions rather than providing direct advice.

Teaching is centered on imparting knowledge, skills, or expertise from a teacher to a student. It follows a structured curriculum, with the teacher acting as the authority on the subject matter. Coaching does not rely on instruction but rather on conversation, exploration, and accountability. Instead of teaching concepts, coaches help clients draw out their own insights and take action toward their goals.

Mentoring is a relationship in which a more experienced individual provides guidance, wisdom, and personal insights to someone with less experience. Mentors often share lessons from their own journeys. In contrast, coaching is not based on the coach’s experience but on the client’s unique needs and aspirations. A coach does not serve as a role model or advisor but rather as a facilitator of personal discovery and action.

Spiritual direction is specifically focused on deepening a person’s relationship with God. A spiritual director helps individuals discern God’s presence and guidance in their lives, often through prayer and reflection. Coaching, while it can be faith-based, is not inherently about spiritual formation. It is action-oriented and aimed at setting and achieving goals, whereas spiritual direction is about ongoing spiritual growth.

Therapy (or psychotherapy) is similar to counseling but often involves deeper psychological work to address mental health conditions, trauma, and emotional distress. Therapists are trained and licensed professionals who use psychological techniques to support healing. Coaching is not therapy—it does not address clinical issues but instead focuses on setting and reaching personal or professional goals.

Coaching is a unique, collaborative process that empowers individuals to grow in self-awareness, overcome challenges, and move forward with confidence. It is designed for those who are ready to take ownership of their development and actively engage in the process of transformation. A coach serves as a guide, accountability partner, and catalyst for change—not as an instructor, therapist, or consultant.