One woman is depressed and anxious following a recent divorce; another is more hopeful in the aftermath of her split and wants to move on with her life. Should these women see a therapist or a life coach, or perhaps both?
In former days, such topics were primarily the purview of the church or synagogue. But with advances in the field of psychotherapy, women's options grew. While psychotherapy must follow certain guidelines from state to state, life coaching can be facilitated anywhere. Life coaching can keep individuals and employees motivated and accountable and help them find a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
Life coaches and therapists serve different purposes. The therapist is the person who is sought out for the healing of old wounds and the discussion of personal problems that need to be analyzed and solved. The life coach, on the other hand, is both mentor and guide.
"So much therapy is about the past and present and all about focusing the client toward healing. Coaching, on the other hand, is about helping a client look forward to expand their options and to take action," according to Leslie Lupinsky, a master certified coach.
Getting better every day
Life coaching is not so much about fixing a problem but rather helping a client escape their comfort zone. It is about the creation of a future self.
A life coach starts with the assumption that a client is already whole.
"I love coactive coaching because I am dancing in the moment now," said Hozhoin Healing Arts' Pati Maez, a co-active coach.
To select coaching means to consciously choose a preferred future and live life to its fullest. As Maez tells her clients, "Go be the best that you are now."
Coaching does not focus on what needs mending but clarifies what the client wants to improve upon, whether it is their career, their relationship, their health or their spirituality.
Leslie Gail, a life coach and owner of New Life Focus Coaching, acknowledges that "If you are committed to making some life changes but need guidance and information to make it a reality, then working with a life coach is your best bet."
Coaches ask clients what they really want out of life. They see coaching as an alliance between the coach and client, with the belief that there's a partnership of equals in the process of coaching. Life coaches use the "co-active" model, which states that a client is already a naturally creative and resourceful whole.
Gary Yoon, a life coach client, said, "Coaching demands us to be the person we were created to be, not just for ourselves but for others as well. When we hide that part of ourselves, others can't benefit from the beautiful gifts and talents we already have."
Another client, Mary Copek, used coaching to help her cope with grief after her husband's sudden death.
"I truly wanted to grieve as necessary but to balance that right from the start with a positive plan for my future," Copek said.
"Coaching allowed me the freedom to cry and even in the same breath consider the new opportunities that lay before me."
In essence, there's room for both life coaching and psychotherapy. When issues are more serious or are out of a coach's scope of practice, a life coach will refer a client for outside psychotherapy.
Psychotherapists are highly trained to deal with mental illness, thoughts of suicide, addictions, abuse and other difficult problems. A client in these circumstances needs proper evaluation and treatment.
Psychotherapy is about eliminating problems and making changes in order to live a more functional life. Life coaching focuses on the beauty that already lies within.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a life coach and psychotherapist based in Agoura Hills. She works with adolescents, adults and couples and can be reached at (818) 756-3338 or http://www.sgabatherapy.com
She has a practical and interactive approach. Her practice is about empowering individuals by providing insightful, supportive, and goal-oriented therapy and life coaching. By uncovering the feelings and desires, the road towards growing and healing can become more meaningful and fulfilling. Mindfulness, acceptance, and a feeling of being heard all figure prominently in her work with clients."
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