life coach chicago faq

How is Life Coaching Different From Therapy?

Life Coaching is NOT therapy although there are some similarities. Therapy focuses on healing the past, helping you to better understand your feelings, and alleviating psychological problems. Much of therapy is focused on clinical treatment of given mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety. Life coaching, on the other hand, is about taking action steps toward designing a positive future. Therapy is like looking at the rear view mirror to examine where you are coming from while coaching is like looking out the front window to determine where you want to go.

While a psychotherapist might ask "How do you feel?" a life coach often asks "What do you want and how would you like to feel?" and then helps you to develop strategies to obtain your personal or professional goals.

Both psychotherapists and life coaches have a professional relationship with their clients. A life coach is a trained professional and is exactly what the name infers – they act as your coach in life. Just like a sports coach, they are able to offer you the information and tools needed for you to win at life! They help you to first identify the areas of your life you are having difficulty with and then help you to design a plan for a more positive and fulfilling future.

The relationship that you have with a life coach is supportive in every way. They are there to first listen to what your goals and aspirations are for better work, family and love relationships. Whether those goals are taking the steps toward finding or changing your career, taking steps to finding a creative outlet, or becoming more engaged in your marriage, a life coach can steer you in the right direction.

What is the difference between Life Coaching and Psychotherapy?

Therapy and Psychotherapy are words that are interchangable in the field of mental health. And so a difference between psychotherapy and Life coaching is that in psychotherapy, the client is generally going through severe pain and suffering. They are seeking relief and looking to the therapist to them help them heal or eliminate their problem. The client will seek therapy to deal with their acute distress so they can then leave, terminate the relationship, and resume their previous life. In short, they are being treated for something.

More about the differences between Life Coaching and Psychotherapy

In Life Coaching, the relationship may typically be short term or it could last months and years. Sometimes there are situations where a client wishes time-limited life coaching , such as being coached through a special project or personal transition. An example might be highly effective rapport skills for a job promotion. That can also be an option. This is different from psychotherapy where there could be a brief encounter with a therapist for a specific issue or concern, such as overwhelming grief over the loss of a loved one. Sometimes the client may be severely emotionally damaged and need to stay in psychotherapy for many years simply to maintain an emotional holding pattern. Again, the primary difference is that Life Coaching is not focused on treating a clincal problem - where psychotherapy is.

Differences in boundaries between Life Coaching and traditional Psychotherapy/Counseling

The boundaries that exist in the psychotherapy relationship are quite rigid. This is mostly because the patient/client is usually suffering a clinically diagnosable condition, and sometimes they can be very fragile emotionally. Breeching these boundaries can often be devastating for the patient/client. Some boundaries can include no contact outside of the therapeutic setting, e.g., office, clinic, hospital, etc. except in very rare and extenuating circumstances. Self-disclosure on the part of the psychotherapist is generally minimal. Also, allowing a genuine two-way dialogue to evolve is not supported. Life Coaching has a much more flexible set of boundaries. The assumption is that the life coach is dealing with an emotionally healthy, relatively well-adjusted and effectively functioning individual. Therefore, appropriate self-disclosure by the coach, more authenticity, lightness, fun and friendliness in the relationship is often the rule.

What Can Life Coaching Be Used For?

Life Coaching is a service that is designed to teach new skills and overcome specific obstacles that prevent you from reaching your full potential. Some common subgroups of life coaching that people in Chicago and elsewhere seek support around can include:

• Career coaching

• Business coaching

• Personal life coaching

• Assertiveness coaching

• Communications coaching

What are the Fees for Life Coaching?

The fee for Life Coaching Sessions is $100.00 (1 hr). Coaching is not covered by insurance. Life Coaching Services can be offered in person and in many cases, over the phone or via the Internet (i.e. Skype).

How Do I Request an Appointment?

You can call Dr. Moore at 773.704.5300 or send a confidential message by clicking on this Contact Form.

Life Coaching vs. Therapy

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