Coaching and therapy – two terms that are often mixed up

Coaching and therapy – two terms that are often mixed up, but they actually follow quite different approaches. Let’s break it down.

Therapy is like a journey into the past. It’s often about looking at old wounds or deep-seated emotional issues and working to heal them. The therapist helps release emotional blocks that might have been there for a long time. Often, this involves dealing with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or trauma. Therapy kicks in when the inner balance has been lost and focuses on restoring it.

Coaching, on the other hand, is more like looking at a map of the future. It’s for people who are generally healthy but might feel stuck or are looking for more clarity and direction. Coaching doesn’t dig deep into emotional healing but focuses on concrete goals and solutions. A coach is like a partner by your side, helping you see the next step and paving the way forward. It’s very goal-oriented, sometimes almost like a springboard to more success or fulfillment – whether in your career or personal life.

Now, here’s where it gets exciting: Systemic Coaching. This is a special kind of coaching. Imagine you’re part of a bigger puzzle – your job, your family, your friends – all of these influence how you feel and act. A systemic coach doesn’t just focus on you as an individual but also looks at the "system" around you. Often, personal challenges or obstacles are closely tied to the structures and dynamics of your environment.

The best part? In systemic coaching, it’s not about the coach telling you what to do. Instead, it’s based on the belief that you already have all the answers inside you. The coach is there to ask the right questions – the kind that spark new thoughts and help you see things from a different perspective. Suddenly, you notice things you hadn’t seen before. So, the coach isn’t the "expert" on your life but more of a curious companion who gives you the space to develop your own solutions.

What’s key here is the mindset behind systemic coaching: it’s all about appreciation, openness, and trust in your abilities. Your coach doesn’t see you as a problem that needs fixing, but as someone with incredible resources to help yourself. It’s about realizing, “I’ve got this!” – and then finding the courage to make it happen.

In short: therapy is about healing emotional wounds, coaching is a guide on your path to achieving goals, and systemic coaching is the art of understanding yourself and your environment as a whole, so you can make the best decisions for your life.