Do You Need a Life Coach or a Therapist? Mental Health Experts Explain

The percentage of adults getting mental health treatment in the United States has steadily increased since 2019. But therapy isn't always the best option for professional help. A life coach—or relationship coach or career coach—might be the kind of empowering, motivational, goal-oriented guidance you need.

Whether you’ve been exhausted going to therapy for years or are just considering seeking professional guidance through a life change or crisis, it never hurts to pause and think about where you are mentally, where you’d like to be, and how to get there. Here, mental health experts share the difference between a life coach and a therapist so you can get the best help for your needs.

Therapy vs. Coaching

Therapy, of which there are several different types, is generally understood as a treatment approach based on a mental health diagnosis, such as anxiety, stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a focus on identifying, understanding, and finding solutions for whatever problems the client is facing. While coaching may have elements of healing, and there is often overlap, its overall premise is typically proactive, goal-oriented, and future-oriented.

"Therapy involves a more insightful and health-oriented approach," explains Greg Lozano of Grow Therapy. "It also tends to have an emotional component to it that requires more care in its use when applying it. In coaching, there is [less or none of this] emotional component, but rather more guidance than a connection."

Requirements for Therapists

Traditional therapy is considered a medical treatment often covered by most insurance companies, depending on the practitioner. Individual states strictly regulate the required training for therapist providers. A practicing therapist career requires a minimum of a master’s degree, followed by demonstrated competency in the material by taking a national examination and completing an extensive internship program.

Exact requirements are determined by a governing board in each state with strict expectations that must be met throughout the career. Renewal of one’s license to practice as a therapist requires a minimum amount of education credits. The rigorous training and standardized oversight required for therapists make this type of mental health professional an accredited mental health resource.

“The training that therapists receive is something that can provide reassurances to insurance companies that what they pay for can result in meaningful help for the client they are insuring,” Lozano says. With that, patients are most often led to work with certified therapists.

Requirements for Coaches

While health insurance companies do not cover coaching, becoming a certified life coach also requires proper training and accreditation. However, it often receives a bad reputation because of the many uncertified, self-proclaimed life coaches out there—something especially easy to fall prey to on social media platforms.

The International Coaching Federation is the only standard of coaching to date. It includes training, ethics examination, and foundational coaching principles. Submission of coaching recordings, mentoring hours, and continuous reviews are also essential.

The program includes three levels: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master Certified Coach (MCC). While all three certifications are valid, the Master certification includes guidance through pure listening without enabling ways and manners to advance. It is an art form that encourages the patient to take action through non-verbal guidance.

Types of Therapy

Therapy is an umbrella term encompassing many distinct types, often customized to any particular patient's needs. “There are different therapy approaches in the field of counseling, the main ones being psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive approaches,” Lozano explains, adding that each technique has its own distinct way of addressing, interpreting, and treating the issues at hand.

“With the psychodynamic orientation, one explores inner conflict as it relates to their past. Humanistic approaches emphasize the ability of clients themselves to be capable of change with support and guidance from their therapist. Cognitive approaches address the postulated thinking patterns that result in challenging emotions and inner struggles,” adds Lozano.

But even with this plethora of available therapy options out there, therapy won’t be the best approach for some individuals. Working in the past or on their problems may leave individuals swirling and overthinking, rather than acting and creating positive change. This is where a life coach can help.

Types of Coaching

Coaching offers momentum to advance in life in a desired direction. Patients propel themselves into the next stage of their lives through critical thinking and curious questioning. "Coaching has much more of a strength-based approach," explains certified coach Jamie Blume. "We're here right now. We're still going to be working on thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that come up, maybe from childhood or past trauma. But we're really focusing on what's working, where we want to get to, and moving forward."

“Coaching offers tangible steps in moving forward to your future self, versus therapy, which is [often] more about untangling the problems,” says Ariana Cleo of Watertight. A mother of two, Cleo—overwhelmed by being cooped up and overall life stress—received advice to try working with a life coach rather than a therapist—and it changed everything, personally and professionally.

Working with a coach allowed Cleo to compartmentalize different aspects of life and move forward with a clear direction. “I wanted to bring even more love and work better with my partner; I wanted to be a better parent,” Cleo explains. “So I had this step-by-step program that moved me toward my future self and said: OK, this is what I want my life to look like. This is who I want to be. This is what I want my partnership to look like.”

Such an approach offers guidance and support in a strategic and goal-oriented manner, rather than reliving deeper aggravations, unpacking past experiences, and exploring emotions.

Coaching Genres

There are also many different kinds of coaches available to choose from based on your specific needs. You’ve likely heard of career coaches, relationship coaches, fitness coaches, executive coaches, and general life coaches for motivation, accountability, and support. 

“I'm a leadership coach, specifically. Leadership is about responsibility and ownership,” says Antoinette Beauchamp, certified leadership coach (and Cleo’s coach). “What I do is empower people to take ownership and responsibility over their decisions, how they think, and how they feel. With that ownership, they start to make changes.” 

Beachamp explains how a coach can help you identify what you want to focus on and how to make the progress you want. In many ways, coaching helps you write a handbook or create a map with actionable steps toward a better future for yourself.

“You'd want to look for two things,” Beauchamp explains. “One, the area where you might have the most challenges. And two, the area where you really have strong desires. It's about identifying your core desires and then making decisions toward [them].”

Deciding on a Life Coach vs. a Therapist

The distinct services and approaches provided by a therapist or coach can help individuals in various scenarios and achieve different goals. Consider: Are the treatments and strategies you’ve been relying on still helping you? Are you making progress with the mental health pro you’re currently working with? Is it time to mix up your approach to mental wellness? Do you need a therapist, or would you benefit from a coach? In general, here are some reminders to keep in mind when choosing a life coach vs. a therapist.

When to Choose a Life Coach

If you feel stuck in life—personally, career-wise, or in your relationships—a coach can help you set attainable goals to move forward. A life coach (or other type) can assist you with finding purpose, making decisions, and providing guidance. They will help you stay accountable and make progress so you can avoid the all-too-familiar "I'll do it later" feeling.

When to Choose a Therapist

For anyone dealing with mental health symptoms or who has a mental health diagnosis, a therapist may be best. A licensed therapist can help you work through past trauma and emotions and provide coping strategies for more effectively managing symptoms. From anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress and relationship concerns (and much more), therapists can provide less goal-oriented counseling, focusing instead on healing for emotional well-being.

How to Benefit From Both Coaching and Therapy

Trauma healing is often necessary; understanding and managing your emotions is vital; and learning how to handle stress and build resilience is important for everyone—and sometimes these two fields of self-improvement can work together.

"The beauty is that coaches and therapists can work together to help to support the client—it doesn't have to be one or the other," Blume explains. If there is deeper emotional work or self-actualization that needs to happen, or they need to be monitored or medicated, a "therapist [or psychiatrist] can be doing that work, [while coaches] can support that day to day," Blume adds.

Coaches often recommend therapy to their patients when dealing with deep trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental issues. While coaches can support that work daily, their job does not include administering medicine (like a psychiatrist) or providing treatment for mental health concerns.

You may also benefit from a licensed therapist with coaching experience—or vice-versa—who can straddle those two needs: unpacking the inner self and working to make exchanges and decisions externally (two needs that are often very much intertwined and reliant on one another).