Coaching vs.Training / Consulting / Mentoring / Traditional Therapies

Coaching is NOT CONSULTING

• Coaching is a discovery-based process in which the client creates the solution to the issue at hand. 
  
• Consulting: Individuals or organizations retain consultants for their expertise. While consulting approaches vary widely, the assumption is that the consultant will diagnose problems and prescribe (and sometimes implement) solutions. 
  

Coaching is NOT COUNSELING

• Coaching is future-focused. For coaching a natural outcome would be actionable strategies for specific goals. 
• Therapy often concentrates on past pain and deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict. The outcome often includes an improved emotional state. 

Coaching is NOT MENTORING

• Mentoring offers guidance based on experience in a specific area. 
• Coaching is different. Although some coaches provide mentoring, they are not typically mentors to those they coach.

Coaching is NOT TRAINING

• Training programs are based on learning certain objectives set out in a curriculum. 
• Coaching is not set in a curriculum; rather it is customized for the individual clients. While there are objectives in coaching, the objectives are set by the coachee with guidance from the coach.

If the coaching descriptions above appeal to you and you are looking to work with a coach, make sure that the coach you choose meets the follow criteria:
• Has completed coach-specific training, (not just a weekend certificate course)
• Offers an initial meeting to confirm that there is a good coach/client rapport
• Has earned credentials and has adequate experience

by Suzie Doscher

Thomas Leonard, The Father of American Life Coaching at Coach University, defines coaching as:

 “The client and coach become a team, focusing on the client's goals / needs and accomplishing more than the client would alone.”
“Coaches also help clients leverage their strengths and develop themselves in ways that bring greater success and satisfaction in their career or in their personal life.”

What Coaching Is and Is Not

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