Working for a coach training company, I have always thought is would be beneficial to provide integrated coaching and counselling sessions, and in fact wondered how a therapist could offer them mutually exclusively, without straying into one domain or the other.
In my mind, combining the two could offer a comprehensive approach to encouraging personal growth and emotional well-being at various levels and could leverage the benefits of both disciplines, to address past issues, whilst setting future goals.
So what’s the difference?
Counselling typically delves into past experiences and emotional conflicts, providing a supportive environment to help clients manage mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. In contrast, coaching focuses on the future, helping clients set and achieve specific personal or professional goals through structured planning and accountability.
And although not a huge amount of therapists do this, integrating coaching into counselling sessions, could enhance the therapeutic process in several ways. Coaching provides actionable steps and continuous support between therapy sessions, reinforcing progress made in therapy. However, it also emphasises goal-setting and achievement, motivating clients to move beyond their past and take concrete steps toward a brighter future. Additionally, coaching increases self-awareness and accountability, helping clients reflect on their daily actions and stay committed to their goals.
This dual approach builds resilience and confidence, as clients tackle challenges and celebrate victories, thereby reinforcing the therapeutic work done in counselling or allowing the already built relationship in coaching to support deeper areas requiring counselling.
An integrative approach is particularly beneficial for clients who can emotionally self-regulate despite their distress. It allows for a flexible ratio of therapy and coaching, adapting to the client's needs as they progress. Some sessions could focus more on therapy to address severe distress, while others may emphasise coaching to focus on goal achievement. This obviously very much depends on the client and how far they want to go. Are they prepared for counselling? Do they need coaching? I for one am looking to finding out and adding both disciplines to my toolkit. I feel it can only be a useful skill to have, helping to navigate the myriad of issues which may be presented, moving (hopefully) seemlessly between the two. As an integrative therapist, this feels doable, providing the requirements of the client don’t become eclectic i.e. “I’d like coaching this week”….or maybe that’s a good thing? Maybe that would dictate how the session will unfurl…and let’s face it, the client leads in whatever session we are in.
Cause for thought and reflection…..
