What’s the Difference Between Coaching and Therapy? - episode 305
Coaching is all the rage it seems - there are so many, and all kinds. They want to come alongside to support and empower us. And we still have dedicated therapists out there who are ready to help us as well.
But what’s the difference?
When do you want one over the other, or maybe you want both. Coaching and therapy serve different purposes, and that’s what today’s episode is all about. It’s like the Venn diagram we learned about in school. Different with maybe a bit of overlap in the middle.
Let’s look at both and you can make your own informed decisions.
We are capable of more than we think.
— Coach Training, January 2026
You Decide: Simple or Easy
Thoughts from What’s the Difference Between Coaching and Therapy?
If we are capable of more than we think (and we definitely are) then it is up to us to actively particpate. Do you want to be more you, the most you you can be? I know I do. That involves listening (hearing God’s voice), learning (being reminded and taking in new information to make the best decisions possible), and growing (expanding outward that starts from the inward).
Doing so is simple but not necessarily easy. So what’s the difference? When something is simple it is not complicated - goes without saying, doesn’t it. The steps are there and you can take them. But do you want to? Are you willing to? Because there are typically obstacles, things that can take some time. Often we won’t see something through, and we will get stuck. Oh sure, we will get to that one of these days and then years pass and we haven’t moved an inch with that nudge, that thing we wanted to try but were too afraid to do it. I’m not creative. I’m not an artist. I can’t sing. I can’t do that. The honest truth is I’m worried about what other people think. And then there’s the What if I fail? If we’re real honest with ourselves there is also, What if I succeed? That is a scary prospect. There are other fears too. Guilt and shame hang out here as well. Obstacles. All obstacles. They can be overcome.
If something is easy just about anyone can do it. Stop paying your bills? That was easy. Stop eating right and eat crappy food most of the time? That was easy. Stop taking walks and exercising? That was easy. The thing about easy is there are all kinds of ramifications, all sorts of natural consequences that will likely take place. And they are typically not pretty nor desirable. You can ruin your credit, your body and your relationships just to name a few.
It was simple to start this podcast and blog but it was not easy. It was simple to have a baby on my own but it was not easy. It was simple to say yes to Ron and blend our families but it was not easy. Can I let you in on a little secret? (Ok, maybe most of you already know this.) The simple things are the things that are the most worthwhile. The things that are not easy are the most fulfilling.
I listened to God in saying yes to this creative endeavor. I learned by being reminded I can do hard things, I can master new skills, and I grew starting from the inside and expanded out. I will take simple every day. And I will remember it won’t be easy.
Simple, but not easy. There’s a difference.
— Dusseldorf, Germany
