Coach versus Mentor versus Therapist
What is the difference? And which one is right for me?
A coach (life, dating, health, sports, etc.) is someone who can help another person reach their goals or maneuver through a situation. A formally trained coach learns coaching techniques to encourage, challenge, acquire skills, and break through mental blocks, the coach guides the person on how to do something. A coach may or may not have ever been through the situation or been to the level of 'success' the person wants to get to. A good coach is someone who can get another to reach their goals. Think Michael Jordan's coach(es). They never got to the level of success that Michael Jordan has got to, but they helped him get to the level he wanted to be at. Same can be said about a birthing coach. That birthing coach may have never had children herself, however she may have helped many birthing mothers get through labor with a better experience.
A mentor is someone who has been to the level a person wants to achieve. Most mentors do not have formal training on how to be a mentor - they are a mentor simply by experiencing whatever it is they are a mentor for. They have been there before. They have achieved what you want to achieve. They have lived through an experience. A mentor is someone who can share their own experiences of their journey and what worked for them and what pitfalls they went through. A mentor may not know how they did what they did, and may not be able to tell you what you need to do, but they can share their insight into specific areas you have questions about.
A therapist is formally trained in therapy techniques and requires licensing. Most therapists in today's societies are trained to 'diagnose' a person as having a certain mental or behavioral condition and then treating that person with different techniques with hopes of a 'cure' or 'management' of their diagnosis.
There is a place and time for each of these roles. We wanted to offer a variety of life coaches to our clients and create some professional boundaries and standards so our clients feel at ease to make appointments as needed or easily try out different life coaches without feeling the awkwardness of working directly with the coaches. Sometimes you just don't click with a life coach...or you 'outgrow' your life coach. That is why all appointments are made using our receptionist rather than with the life coaches directly. There is no pressure to re-book, and we don't have life coaching contracts. And, if you are not sure which of our life coaches to book an appointment with, our receptionist will help you to choose the right coach for your situation.
