Therapy vs. Coaching: What’s the Difference? A Quick Comparison.

🎯 Core Difference

While both therapy and coaching facilitate personal growth, they serve distinct needs:

• Therapy focuses on diagnosing and treating mental health conditions, rooted in emotional healing and internal understanding.

• Coaching is goal-driven, future-focused, and avoids diagnosing mental illness.

📊 Effectiveness & Evidence

Recent studies show coaching can significantly improve depression symptoms—58% of participants saw clinical recovery after just one session. But therapy remains the gold standard for mental health concerns.

🗓 When to Choose What

• Choose therapy for emotional distress, trauma, anxiety, or depression—it's structured, evidence-based, and often covered by insurance.

• Choose coaching for achieving life goals, improving performance, or enhancing habits—especially if you're already emotionally stable.

🤝 Why They’re Better Together

Many people benefit from combining both: therapy addresses root causes; coaching keeps them on track moving forward.