A Well Informed Decision is Best!
Here is some information related to your decision to become a client or refer someone to a coach for coaching services.
The context of this information is the client's well-being. Determining what assistance is appropriate is an important question to both therapists and coaches alike. The issue presented here is when, what, & to which professional to refer.
Under certain conditions, a therapist might well refer to a coach, and quite appropriately, there are times when a coach must refer to a therapist. There are also areas where the coach will want to refer to a therapist, especially when there is a lack of willingness on the part of the client to take actions. Coaching does not focus on a client's underlying psychological blocks. A coach must be aware of the issues that are handled well within the coaching arena and, most importantly, those that are not. It is a breach of ethics to dabble in areas where we are not trained, however well-intended our efforts.
Distinguishing the provinces of each enables us to be of maximum service to our clients.
Let's look at the similarities. There is a practitioner-client relationship, with the focus of both on the functioning of the client. Both practitioners:
- Listen and reflect on what is said.
- Help with empowerment.
- Develop relationships with their clients that are central to the alliance, accepting clients at whatever level they are on and helping them work to the next level.
- Take place in what the therapeutic community calls the frame: they occur at a specific time for a specific amount of money and have specific ground rules.
- Place the responsibility on the client to do the work that's developed together.
For anyone who has experience with quality in both arenas, the differences are easy to see too. Both technologies are useful and it is not unusual for a person to have both a therapist & a coach to work in different arenas. They are different disciplines. The table shown on the bottom of this page summarizes many of the differences between a traditional dynamic model of therapy & comprehensive coaching.
It is important to note that not everyone is ready for coaching. The client must be ready, willing and able to be in action. Clients who are not ready to take actions are encouraged to find a therapist or a 12-step group and to come back to coaching at another time. Most coaches are not trained therapists and most therapists are not trained coaches.
It has been said that therapy moves a person from dysfunctional to functional and coaching moves a person from functional to extraordinary. A useful analogy is that of an athlete who is in training who might suffer a broken bone. The broken bone must be stabilized and the major physical damage healed before the athlete can get back into training. Restoration must be well underway before the athlete can become fully active in training again.
Coaching doesn't come into play until the client is able to function. Only then can the coach help design the training program to be perfect for the client's lifestyle and business. Once the client is ready, willing and able, the coach helps the client plan to compete and succeed!
CONTACT INFORMATION
Coaching For Success, Inc. is a Tampa Bay Area based Business Coaching Service dedicated to the improvement of people's managing skills and optimizing their personal and professional lives. CFS works directly with clients, businesses & other aspiring coaches nation wide. CFS can be reached through its home office from 8am-5pm, Mon. through Fri. at (813) 949-0718 or through emailed at any time.
