Member-only story
Should you hire a therapist or a life coach?
Yes — both. And maybe a financial planner too.
I’ve invested time and money in working with all three over the last two years, and have only satisfying personal progress to show for it. I’ve “done the work”, but these professionals have guided me, supported me, and helped me maintain positive momentum.
To simplify, a good therapist addresses your past. They notice your patterns of thinking, your assumptions, and feed back to you details of prior conversations to draw new insights. The relationship only becomes deeper and more seamless the more time you spend with a good therapist. I’m grateful to have connected with mine. He’s kind, gentle, and always reminds me to “be on my own side.”
Most people are familiar with mental health therapy, but coaching is a newer concept.
A good coach helps you focus on the immediate future and build forward momentum. What do you want to tackle in your life? A coach will help you break down the steps, conquer your unconscious fears to take action, and hold you accountable for forward progress. Working with my coach helped me launch this blog by developing a habit of writing and posting when I felt rusty and out of practice. After years of not writing much, I needed the boost of confidence.
