Why we’re different
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL THERAPY, TRADITIONAL COACHING AND EVOLVED COACHING
The purpose of this document is to assist you in understanding the differences between the options that you, as the client, has available to you. It should be noted that the content of this document is a generalization – Not all people practicing traditional therapy and coaching necessarily conform to what is mentioned below. The information is merely to assist you to ask the right questions based on what you are looking for. It should also be noted that we are not opposed to traditional therapy or coaching and it is your responsibility to decide what will work best for you!
| TRADITIONAL THERAPY | TRADITIONAL COACHING | EVOLVED COACHING (What I do) |
| Works with patients. | Works with clients. | Works with clients. |
| Diagnoses mental illnesses and attempts to deal with identifiable conditions in a person by treating symptoms. | Turns problems into challenges and seeks solutions. | Identifies the root cause of the problem and creates a new paradigm within the client, solving the problem and creating new choices. |
| Takes for granted that emotions are a sign that something is wrong and are therefore to be avoided. | Assumes emotions are natural and looks for ways in which to utilize them better. | Assumes emotions are natural and looks for the INTENTION and PURPOSE for the expression of those emotions. |
| Asks the questions WHY? | Asks the questions WHY, HOW and WHAT? | Asks the questions HOW, WHAT and WHAT IF? Asking WHY reveals reasons and not results. WHY gives us more content and not the structure or the process |
| Generally works with a person’s past and the traumatic events therein, and seeks healing of those events | Works with a person’s present and works to help them create a positive future | Works with a person’s present and works and provides the tools to empower a person to create the future they desire (Realizes that in order to for the client to create the future they want the obstacles from the past need to be processed). |
| Defines a Doctor‐Patient relationship (where the Doctor has the solution) | Defines a partnership of equals. (Coach presents alternatives but client ultimately determines their own solutions). | Defines a partnership of equals. (Teaches client: shows how to empower them self to find and implement their own solutions. |
| Generally through conversation, encourages the patient to talk about and thereby resolve old pain. Requires reliving pain and symptoms to get rid of them. | Coach would help the client explore new ways of thinking, new ways of looking at things. | Helps Client to discover the process by which they prevent the achievement of goals and objectives. Equips client to adopt new processes and internal strategies to achieve desired outcomes. |
| Is about fixing the Client by understanding and fixing his past. | Is about understanding the past as a framework for the present and encouraging clients to consider new | Is about understanding the past as a framework for the present, processing it, and equipping clients to create a desired future. |
| Relies on a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual to diagnose pathology. Operates in a medical or clinical manner. | Remembers that Coaching is a model of learning and discovering potential, which focuses on the future and its achievable goals and outcomes. | Remembers that Coaching is a model of learning and discovering potential, which focuses on the future and its achievable goals and outcomes. |
| Doctor targets a diagnosis for the patient and then puts forth his training in diagnosis and treatment of disease and then offers a path to healing. | Coach aligns mentally with the Client and then through a discussion identifies the challenges, then provides coaching to move beyond them to create wins. In the process, the Client is responsible to achieve the Outcomes. We realize that the Client ALWAYS has control over his/her results. | Coach aligns mentally with the Client and then through a discussion identifies the challenges, then provides coaching to move beyond them to create wins. In the process, the Client is responsible to achieve the Outcomes. We realize that the Client ALWAYS has control over his/her results. |
| Generally, because of transference, the therapist will not talk much about himself. | When appropriate the Coach shares much about his experience, which is vital to learning. | When appropriate the Coach shares much about his experience, which is vital to learning. |
| In most psychotherapy, the patient’s progress is time consuming. | The changes are fun can also be time consuming. | The changes amaze most clients since they are so fast and so much fun. |
| Has the perspective of a “broken” person, and somehow has to be fixed. | Focuses on actions, outcomes, and process, remembering that a person is perfectly capable of best performance and only has to get in touch with those capabilities. (Coach will highlight and encourage client to focus on actions and outcomes) | Focuses on actions, outcomes, and process, remembering that a person is perfectly capable of best performance and only has to get in touch with those capabilities. (Acknowledges that focus is required and then equips client to create lasting focus) |
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