Wholeness is Your Birthright

I'm often asked what's the difference between coaching, mentoring and therapy/counseling. A life coach is someone who will generally help you achieve goals, so they are typically focused on the future.  Coaching can be very helpful for people who feel "stuck" and are struggling to move forward in a particular area of their life.  Mentoring is more present-focused, and the time spent together may be spent talking about what you are currently experiencing.  Often times a mentor can be asked for advice or guidance, which is not typically the case when following a strictly life coaching model. Therapists, on the other hand, are trained mental health professionals.  A therapist will typically delve into your past in order to understand current behaviors, so they are more focused on the past than either life coaches or mentors.  That's not to say that the past is never discussed with a coach or mentor, often times unpacking prior experiences is necessary in order to move forward.  Therapists often help understand the "why" of current behavior patterns, while a coach will help with the "how" of accomplishing a goal.  Sometimes coaching and therapy can be complimentary.  A coach/mentor can help you proactively care for your mental fitness while a therapist is assisting with your mental health.