Center for Professional & Personal Renewal



	who seeks coaching how coaching differs from counseling how the coaching process works benefits of coaching the CPPR approach		How coaching differs from counseling Career and life coaching is not synonymous with giving advice, counseling or therapy. Coaches are not trained as psychotherapists. Therapy is, by and large, related to life events in the past. Therapy and counseling often focus on how your family of origin shaped your beliefs, attitudes, and coping mechanisms, in an effort to help clients better understand and navigate the current issues in their lives. Counseling is a process of transferring wisdom and insight from the counselor to the client. The counselor or therapist commonly gives advice to the client.

			Coaching, on the other hand, is forward thinking, not backward looking. Good coaching unlocks the client’s own inner wisdom. Coaches use probing questions, deep listening, empathy, and specific tools to unlock the client’s deepest values, purpose, passions, and skills. Coaches then help clients to use this self-understanding in a proactive way to create future scenarios for career and living which are dynamic, supportive of their deepest values, and filled with renewed passion and energy. These scenarios are created by the client, not the coach, the wisdom comes from within the client. Next, coaches help client’s develop specific plans of action to initiate their new vision(s)s, complete with specific action steps, timelines, and support systems. The coach often provides resource information and networking ideas. Finally, coaches help clients successfully fulfill their visions through the use of accountability.