Coaching works from the view that you already have the resources to find your own answers. A coach's role is to help you get there with more clarity, through thoughtful questions, reflection and structure.
How to know which one, or both, is right for you
It's one of the first questions I get asked on an introductory call, usually within the first five minutes: "So… is this like therapy?"
It's a fair question. Both involve sitting with someone and talking openly about your life, and from the outside they can look much the same. However, they serve different purposes.
Understanding the difference can help you find the support that's right for you at this point in your life.
What is therapy?
"Therapy" is an umbrella term for psychological or talking therapies, including counselling, psychotherapy and psychological therapy.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) describes these as working with a trained professional over time to understand yourself and others better. That can include exploring past and present experiences, feelings, relationships, and patterns of thinking and behaviour.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) describes counselling psychology as bringing psychological theory and research into therapeutic practice. In other words, therapy is evidence-based support for understanding and easing emotional and psychological difficulties.
What can therapy help with?
Therapy can support people with a wide range of experiences, including:
Anxiety, low mood and depression
Stress and burnout
Trauma and difficult past experiences
Grief and loss
Relationship difficulties
Alcohol, drug use and other addictive patterns
Low self-esteem
Adjusting to illness or major life changes
Put simply, therapy offers a safe, confidential space to make sense of what's happening, ease distress and recover.
What is life coaching?
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process" that inspires them to make the most of their personal and professional potential.
Coaching works from the view that you already have the resources to find your own answers. A coach's role is to help you get there with more clarity, through thoughtful questions, reflection and structure.
Coaching is forward-focused. It looks at where you are now, where you want to be, what's getting in the way, and what you'd like to do about it. It's reflective, and also practical, with action steps, regular check-ins and accountability. The focus is less on why things are the way they are, and more on what matters to you and what your next step might be.
Where does psychology come in?
This is where it gets a bit blurry, so it's worth being precise.
Coaching psychology applies psychological science to coaching. The British Psychological Society's Division of Coaching Psychology defines it as "the scientific study and application of behaviour, cognition and emotion" to better understand and support people's performance, achievement and wellbeing within coaching.
In other words, it uses what we know about how people think, feel and behave to make coaching more effective. It doesn't turn coaching into therapy.
That's the space I work in. I offer psychology-informed life coaching in Melbourne, and online worldwide. I'm not a registered psychologist. My background is as an NHS Assistant Psychologist and in psychology research, alongside formal life coaching training, and my approach is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Coaching (ACC). I'm currently working towards British Psychological Society Coaching Psychologist registration. So the tools are evidence-based, but the work itself is coaching.
One honest note: coaching is unregulated in Australia. Anyone can call themselves a coach. It's worth asking any coach about their training, background and how they work before you start.
More about Millissa;
Owner of Consciously Connected
I’m a health and emotional wellbeing coach and yoga teacher based in Melbourne, with a strong foundation in clinical psychology. After three years working as an Assistant Psychologist in an NHS Clinical Health Psychology Service in the UK, supporting people living with long-term health conditions, I have recently transitioned into life coaching.
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