First let's address Therapy vs. Counseling:

"Psychotherapy" and "counseling" are terms that are often used interchangeably. Although they are very similar, there are some subtle differences as well.

Technically speaking, "counselor" means "advisor". It involves two people working together to solve a problem. It is a term that is used in conjunction with many types of advice giving. For example, financial planning and spiritual guidance are both types of counseling. Just about anyone at all may claim to be a counselor if they are in the role of giving advice. The term counseling may also properly be used to refer to what occurs in a relationship with a psychotherapist.

In the context of mental health, "counseling" is generally used to denote a relatively brief treatment that is focused most upon behavior. It often targets a particular symptom or problematic situation and offers suggestions and advice for dealing with it.

"Psychotherapy" on the other hand is generally a longer term treatment which focuses more on gaining insight into chronic physical and emotional problems. It’s focus is on the patient’s thought processes and way of being in the world rather than specific problems.

In actual practice there may be quite a bit of overlap between the two. A therapist may provide counseling with specific situations and a counselor may function in a psychotherapeutic manner. Generally speaking, however, psychotherapy requires more skill than simple counseling. It is conducted by professionals trained to practice psychotherapy such as a psychiatrist, a trained counselor, social worker or psychologist. While a psychotherapist is qualified to provide counseling, a counselor may or may not possess the necessary training and skills to provide psychotherapy.

Now let's take the issue of Coaching vs. Therapy:

Though both psychotherapy and life coaching strive toward a common goal: a healthier and happier life style for the individual; there are some very specific differences in the process for how the changes occur. In addition, the clientele is somewhat different.

Discussing the similarities first might be easier. Both clients in psychotherapy and life coaching desire: to make better choices; explore alternative options for behaviors that don’t seem to be working; obtain and maintain positive thinking skills; create positive relationships, work experiences and life performances; learn and practice coping skills for dealing with frustration, anxiety, and difficult people; maintain high self-esteem; and among other things, become happier and healthier in general.

The primary difference between a life coach and a psychotherapist or mental health counselor is that psychotherapists and counselors commonly “treat” clinical issues, such as an existing mental health problem like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. A life coach however does not treat anything. Therefore, life coach services are not covered by insurance programs.

Another difference between traditional 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 “fix” them or help them 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.

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 learning how to better communicate in preparation for a job interview or promotion. 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 problem - where psychotherapy is.

In addition to the above differences, psychotherapy is far more clinical and structured with highly enforced standards of practice overseen by a variety of professional organizations than life coaching. Clinical therapy also includes structured theories of practice and specific interventions to address issues associated with formal psychiatric and psychological diagnosis. However, reputable Life Coaching professionals should have structured interventions that have been proven to facilitate positive change as well. Unfortunately, most life coaches have not had the experience of years of practice with proven interventions for facilitating change. Most life coach training programs consist of about 150 hours of practice prior to certification; while licensed, clinical therapists are required to earn a master’s degree, complete several internships, write a formal thesis, take a licensure test, complete yearly continuing education credits, and have 3000 hours of supervised clinical experience before a license is awarded.

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.