Do I need therapy or coaching?

The question I get asked more than any other is: "Do I need therapy or coaching? What's the difference?"

The easiest answer is that therapy takes patients who are not functioning at a minimum baseline and restores them to health. Coaching takes clients from normal to exceptional. This is one reason I don't work with children themselves. The children usually are not functioning normally and require a licensed therapist. The parents, however, may not need a diagnosis and do not have a mental illness themselves. They are simply struggling to cope with their current situation. The reality is, overlap can be significant, and there is not always a clear answer. In these cases, client preference determines the best fit. Here are some basic guidelines: