Do You Need a Coach or a Therapist?

Whether surmounting a mental health challenge or striving to reach new personal goals, the answer might be “both”.

Illustration: created by the author using Midjourney.

Over a billion dollars is spent each year on personal coaching in the US. While that number is dwarfed by the tens of billions we spend on psychological counseling each year, personal coaching is notable for its lack of regulation. A psychologist must complete specific educational and experience requirements, pass an exam, and be licensed by the state where they practice. For better or worse, a personal coach need only hang up their shingle.

Then again, in the face of a global mental health crisis and surging rates of burnout, as a society we need all the help we can get these days.

But it begs the question, “Who needs a therapist, and who needs a coach?” And either way, how do you go about choosing someone to work with? I talked with both therapists and coaches to find out.

Roles and responsibilities

“The standard answer is that psychologists and counselors help people who are really struggling in their lives up to a level of functioning and surviving,” Melissa Parsons, MD, pediatrician turned life coach, told me. “The coach’s role is to get someone from surviving to thriving…