There is a often a fine line between coaching and counselling and I personally think that the determining factor lies in the focus of the relationship between the service provider and the client.

As a service provider, I experience coaching as being more goal oriented, and this is mostly my preferred method for interacting with my clients.

However, it is equally important to set goals in counselling as well. Sometimes, more so.

The difference for me lies in whether the primary focus is on the attainment of the goal or goals, or is the primary focus on the healing that needs to take place in order to attain the goal. It is the easiest way I can differentiate.

When the service is goal oriented, any block that is getting in the way, or any emotional work that has to be done, becomes evident quite quickly, so it can be explored and given the appropriate amount of the right attention.

From there, the client can move forward, closer to attaining his initial goal, and the goal not only gives purpose to any pain the client might have to endure, but I believe that if the goal is authentic, it might even take some of the pain out of the emotional work that has to be done along the way.

With traditional counselling, however, the focus and the goal might both be the same, for example, to move beyond a pattern of codependency that has proven to be responsible for an inability to experience true intimacy in a string of relationships.

The focus might also be on learning how to accept, come to terms with or endure a situation that cannot be changed like the death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship, or a physical ailment for which there is no obvious solution.

When some clients come to me, they are in so much pain that they can’t conceive of a light at the end of the tunnel. They only know they don’t want to feel bad any more. They don’t require coaching. They require compassion.

It would seem that when the focus of the relationship is on coaching, however, clients are much more excited, and have more energy for the work ahead. So, I have developed a number of coaching programs, all of which deliver the specific skills required to attain a particular outcome for my clients, and I encourage many of them to participate in the programs that would meet their needs.

It is exciting for me to watch a client work through a string of concepts and processes, and come out the other side excited about their lives and where they are heading.