Counselling or Coaching

What is the difference between Counselling and Coaching?

There is much debate over the difference between counselling and coaching. Each practitioner will offer a different definition and, to an extent, this will be influenced by their own approach to working, the nature of the contract made with you and the duration of the work.

I will attempt to answer this question from my own approach of working, and hope that this may enable you to gain a greater understanding into the most appropriate way for you of working with me.

Counselling

If you decide you want to explore your situation through counselling, to reach a place of change or acceptance, we are likely to explore how your past has influenced your current day situation. We may explore how your belief systems, coping strategies and unfinished business from your past are no longer helpful and look at ways of helping you to update these, thus extending your sense of choice and control in life. If, however, our work together is time limited, it may be more appropriate to enable you to become more aware of what is impacting on you in the ‘here and now', with a focus on the present moment, and to explore more effective ways of coping and overcoming blocks in the future. Counselling sessions are 1 hr in duration.

Coaching

If you decide coaching is more appropriate for you, we will work in a more systematic, ‘here and now' way to explore ‘how' you are blocking yourself from achieving your goals in life and from achieving your relationship potential. The focus of our work will be on how your challenges present in your current day situation. I will invite you to complete a set of questionnaires, known as FIRO Elements of Awareness, which will give you immediate and powerful insight into your behaviour, beliefs and fears and how these impact upon your relationship with others and your ability to achieve what you want from life. We will look at practical ways of improving your relationships with others and will explore strategies of overcoming blocks to potential that are realistic and enduring. Coaching is a more results oriented and education based approach. Coaching sessions are 1 ½ hours in duration.

If you are not sure which approach is best for you, please feel free to call me where we can explore this together over the phone. Alternatively, we could arrange for an initial appointment face to face to decide how to proceed.