Personal and Professional Development
Counseling or Coaching?
What is the difference between counseling and coaching?
Realistically, they often overlap. I will be counselor and coach with all of my clients depending on the presenting concerns. The common thread, for me, is the attention to the emergence and development of the whole-person (see the Full Circle Point of View). Regardless of the issue or particular focus, counseling or coaching, I bring my whole background and expertise to the session with a client
Clients seeking personal development or life coaching may have some mild emotional distress. However, their focus is more directed toward a particular goal, such as a change in career, interpersonal skill building, transition planning and implementation, life purpose exploration, and more. Some type of “homework” or exercise is typical between sessions to deepen understanding and/or facilitate skill practice.
In coaching, the client has a particular goal or set of goals in mind and the coaching program we engage in is targeted specifically toward that goal. The client may have something specific tailored to their circumstances in mind or may engage with a program or module that I have created that is useful for many people, such as life purpose exploration, career planning, or developing greater understanding of the impacts of personality type.
Although face to face sessions are more typical, coaching sessions may easily be held at a distance, by computer or telephone, since the confidentiality concerns are substantially less. Clients may pay for sessions individually or for a bundled number of sessions that are prepaid.
Life and work are more effective and satisfying when
body, mind, heart, and spirit
are all nurtured and aligned toward purpose.
Full Circle POV 