A Perspective
Vicki Hart Kaiser Permanente
John Blattner PAS International, Inc.
Staci Leipsic Manzanita Associates
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Copyright 2001 by the Educational Publishing Foundation and the Society of Consulting Psychology, 1061^)087A)l/S5.00 229
DOI 10.1037//1061-4087.53.4.229
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, Vol. 53, No. 4, 229-237
critical success factors in a whole person who
Table 1 seeks to maximize his or her fulfillment in
Demographic Data of Participants
Demographic data Male Female
life and work. Although both approaches in-
Educational training volve developmental issues and focus on
MA or MSW 6 9 awareness, therapy encourages awareness of
PhD or EdD 9 6
Type of coaching
past injuries in order to promote insight and
Generic (i.e., personal) 8 10 healing, whereas coaching focuses on un-
Executive 7 5 tapped present possibilities in order to link
Description of practice
Currently practicing
awareness to action.
8 7
coaching and therapy Regarding level of activity and types of
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Has practiced both, but 7 8 conversation, coaches are more likely to ini-
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not concurrently
Description of clients tiate topics for discussion and to step into a
Individual 7 6 session with ideas and suggestions. They por-
Organization 2 1 tray their coaching interactions as more ac-
Individual and 6 8
organization tive, informal, and self-disclosing, often per-
ceiving their coaching clients as experts in
The experience and opinions drawn from their own right. According to most inter-
these interviews provide the basis for our viewees, conversations in coaching are tied
inquiry and are categorized and summarized to business and work objectives. Whereas
below. therapy may be an undefined, wandering pro-
cess of uncovering and discovery, coaching
Question 1: FromYour Experience, interactions were described by participants
What Do You Think Is the Critical as more structured and task focused, often
Difference Between Coaching involving concrete action plans designed to
move clients toward their defined goals.
and Therapy?
Therapeutic dialogue is seen as more often
Participants identified between one to six involving the expression of feelings and em o-
critical differences between coaching and tional processing. The exploration of depth
therapy. Their comments emphasized the dis- issues is perceived as outside the boundaries
tinction in focus of attention, time orientation, of coaching for nonclinically trained coaches.
level of activity, and type of conversation be- Participants also articulated the overlap
tween themselves and their clients. between coaching and therapy. In particular,
In therapy, the focus is often on interper- they highlighted the similar methods of in-
sonal health and an identifiable issue, such as quiry, propensity for advice giving, bound-
acute depression or relational discord, that in- ary issues, and potential power differentials
terferes with the client's level of functioning that exist in both. Several participants stated
and current psychodynamic or psychosocial that the grayness between these two ap-
adjustment. The focus is typically retrospec- proaches to social influence and the current
tive, dealing with unconscious issues and re- lack of regulatory standards of practice for
pair of damage from earlier experiences, ac- coaching create critical issues for both
cording to numerous interviewees. Itmay even professions.
involve medication, adjunct therapies, and
coordination of services. Discerning and treat- Question 2: How Do You Relate to
ing pathology and relieving symptoms through Coaching Clients Versus
behavioral, cognitive, or analytic intervention Therapy Clients?
is the domain of the psychotherapist.
The coach's orientation is prospective, Overall, there is a profound difference in
focusing on goals, untapped potential, and relating while conducting coaching versus
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therapy with clients. All of the participants therapy relationships. Another major differ-
agreed that coaching is more goal directed, ence is the use of transference issues in
action based, and outwardly defined. When therapy, which is virtually ignored in the
coaching clients, participantsreportedthem- coaching relationship. In therapy, the thera-
selves as "self-revelatory," "having a skilled pist is viewed as the "healer" in the relation-
friendship," and "in partnership." Other ship, whereas coaching implies more col-
common themes were having looser bound- laboration between coach and client. The
aries, being more relaxed, using the self as a extensive clinical training and education that
vehicle for change, and not addressing trans- the therapist has experienced compounds this
ference issues. Participants reported using position, primarily because for some time
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
more humor, being more actively engaged, psychotherapy has aligned itself with the
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
and having greater flexibility within the medical model. When a client comes to
coaching relationship. There is not the same therapy, he or she has the expectation that
need to "protect" the relationship, and as a the therapist is the so-called expert who
marriage and family therapist from Montana knows more about the diagnosis or problem
put it, "You can admit that you know them than he or she (the client) does. This is differ-
in the grocery store." Almost all of the par- ent than when a client comes to the coach with
ticipants interviewed for this study admit- the expectation of a more collaborative model.
ted that they expect more from their coach-
ing clients. They indicated that they can Question 3: What Would You Do or
adopt less of a caretaking role with their Not Do With a Coaching Client
coaching clients and are not responsible for
Versus a Therapy Client?
emotional fragility and looking out for them.
A master's-level therapist from British Co- Perhaps the biggest difference between
lumbia who is now practicing only coach- executing coaching versus therapy for the
ing stated that "coaching is not such a ten- participants we interviewed is the emphasis
der zone as therapy is." (or lack thereof) on the client's past. A psy-
Most of the participants interviewed for chologist from Washington State who no
this article relate to therapy clients in a tra- longer practices therapy reported, "Coaches
ditional psychotherapist-client manner. A have to stay in the here and now; they do not
clinical psychologist in New Jersey who is go into the past to try and figure out why a
practicing both therapy and coaching stated, person is behaving in the way that they are."
A PhD psychologist from Massachusetts
In coaching, once the coach opens the door, who practices both coaching and therapy
the client walks through with little, if any, dif- delineated between the two by "not taking
ficulty. In therapy, the client is more likely to up issues pertaining to one's family, not deal-
be reticent, not "seeing the door" or feeling ing with depression and referring out if
afraid to find out what is on the other side. symptoms of pathology are present" while
In therapy, the emphasis is on past rela- he is doing coaching.
tionships, problems, and behavioral patterns. Flexibility and duality appear to be over-
Participants reported that they are "distant" riding differences between maintaining
and "protective" and do not develop friend- coaching versus therapy relations. An EdD
ships with their therapy clients. Self-disclo- who is the president of a national coaching
sure is minimal unless it is considered ben- training program for therapists stated, "The
eficial to the therapeutic process. There is coaching client can also be in other relation-
an assumption that the therapy client is dam- ships with you [golf, social, etc.] if bound-
aged, lower functioning, or in crisis. Bound- aries are respected. Dual relationships are
aries are usually rigid and impermeable in taboo in therapy relationships." Coaching
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Fall 2001
does not carry the same stigma that therapy maining distant is always a concern. How-
has in the past. People are even inclined to ever, this concern is not there in coaching
publicize the fact that they are receiving relationships. One therapist-coach from
coaching. "I would meet a coaching cli- Maryland reported that he "talks more" in
ent in Starbucks for a session while I coaching: "I am more likely to offer some-
would never meet a therapy client in a thing that might catapult them in some
public place," exclaimed a clinical social direction."
worker from California.
Looser boundaries allow the coach much Question 4: What Do You Consider
more latitude than the therapist. An example "Red Flags" for Coaches Who Are
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Fall 2001
the coach should beware. When the client currently no licensing or governing
tells the coach, "You are the only one who boards. As one participant pointed out,
cares about me," there is cause for con- "Protecting confidentiality and keeping
cern. Other red flags suggesting the need agreements are important in coaching but
for referral include persistent anger or are legally required in therapy."
aggression, suicidal ideation, self-destruc-
tive impulses or behaviors, and extreme Question 5: Alternatively, What Do
dependency. You Think Is Unique About Coaching
These issues lead into the second area That a Trained "Therapist-Turned-
of concern held by many participants, Coach" Needs to Be Aware of While
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Fall 2001
blocks and may be weekly or monthly, de- Another group of participants classified
pending on the contract between the coach control for coaching as a comutual or
and the client. So coaching would vary from cocreative process. Coaching is seen as a
the traditional 50-min hour. The coach needs more collaborative process and more
to guide the process and not direct it. The straightforward than therapy. It appears to be
client, not the coach, should establish the an activity that is shared by both parties and
agenda for the coaching. Also, many partici- not controlled by the coach. The coach will
pants agreed that the client is in charge of guide the person being coached but will not
the process as opposed to therapy, where the directly assume responsibility for the out-
therapist is often in charge. come. These participants indicated that in
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In reference to executive coaching, it was coaching, the person being coached would
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
suggested that the concept of and training in know that he or she is in charge.
leadership roles is helpful. A coach should Other participants suggested that the is-
be familiar with different styles of manag- sue of control rests with the client. Whether
ing others. Coaches need to appreciate the it is coaching or therapy, they m aintained that
role of the individual in the context of the control is always in the hands of the client.
organization. Overall, the executive coach One participant stated, "The client is always
should maintain a focus on achieving results in charge; in coaching the client knows this,
for both the client and the organization. and in therapy, it is something that has to be
Finally, participants indicated that thera- taught."
pists desiring to become coaches would
greatly benefit from a formal coaching pro- Question 7: How Are Contracting
gram. One study participant suggested that and Confidentiality Handled in
"therapists may need to 'unlearn' therapeu- Coaching Versus Therapy?
tic techniques" in which they were previously
trained and instead learn what is required to Participants reported mixed responses to
be an effective coach. This may also necessi- this question. Contracting in coaching ap-
tate that therapists-turned-coaches "let go of pears to be more formal than in therapy. A
the ego of their title." One participant offered PhD from California confided that
this comment: "Being a therapist does not
[by definition] make you a good coach." in coaching, there is a clear contract—it is
explicit: "Where are we going, where do you
Question 6: Who Would You Say Is want to be?" In executive coaching, the orga-
nization comes to the coach and says, "we have
"in Control" in Coaching this guy who is really messed up."
and in Therapy?
Other aspects that seem to make coaching
The participants responded in a variety contracts more formal than therapy contracts
of ways to this question. A few participants are quarterly reviews, fixed time lines, open
indicated that in therapy the therapist is in discussions of clients' expectations, out-
control of the process. This may be attribut- comes, payment made up front, and require-
able to the therapist's experience in dealing ments to demonstrate targeted results.
with mental health issues or the perception According to some participants, contract-
that the particular therapist has of a client. ing in therapy appears to be looser and less
Also, the influence of professional training defined. A clinical psychologist from Cali-
and orientation may play a role in how the fornia stated that he does not do much con-
process is managed. One participant stated, tracting in therapy and that he "may use it
"The issue of control is about 80% of the very loosely around what it is we need to
therapy." work on, but do not ratchet it down to spe-
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Fall 2001
cific behaviors or goals." Contracts in therapy Managed care has caused the notion of
appear to be verbal or left to the insurance confidentiality in therapy to take an inter-
companies. At the opposite end of the spec- esting turn. One m aster's-level therapist from
trum, a psychologist from Oklahoma stated Arizona stated,
that "in therapy, the implied contract is rooted
in national standards for ethical practice to There is actually more confidentiality in
which therapists are held accountable, are re- coaching. People do not realize that when they
viewed, monitored, and can be sued." submit their bills to their insurance company
Approximately one third of the partici- [for therapy], their information is public
knowledge. They can access that information
pants interviewed for this study reported no
at any time. There are also clearinghouses that
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difference in contracting. A master's-level a savvy person can call to get the addresses of
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
clinician from Illinois who is concurrently people with a certain diagnoses from their in-
practicing both therapy and coaching sees surance companies. Most people don't know
contracting in both "as the same process— this.
dealing with fees, goal setting, logistics, time
and place." Another psychologist from Indi-
Summary
ana reported "no real difference—different
psychologists use different contract models. This article documents some of the
It depends on the individual." thoughts and concerns expressed by 30 pro-
Confidentiality is a critical aspect of any fessionals who practice coaching, therapy, or
helping relationship. An EdD from Colorado both. In summary, participants identified
reported, "Confidentiality is a little looser in several distinct differences between coach-
coaching, although I do not share who my ing and therapy, including the focus of at-
client is or any details without their permis- tention, time orientation, level of activity, and
sion. Coaching clients, however, love to tell types of conversations between themselves
people who their coach is!" Others reported and their clients. They also articulated the
that there is a lack of monitoring in coach- overlap between coaching and therapy; in
ing and that there are not any actual rules particular, they highlighted the sim ilar m eth-
pertaining to confidentiality. A PhD from ods of inquiry, propensity for advice giving,
Georgia confided, "In coaching, there is not boundary issues, and potential for power dif-
legal protection. In coaching you could 'blab' ferentials that exist in both. Second, partici-
to anyone, whereas you are not able to do pants reported that they relate to coaching
that in therapy." Obstacles to confidentiality and therapy clients differently and described
in coaching include instances when you are coaching as more goal directed, action based,
working as an external consultant for a com- and outwardly defined. By contrast, there is
pany and when the company is your client. an assumption that in therapy the client is
Overall, most of the therapists who are often "damaged," lower functioning, or in
also practicing coaching appear to take con- crisis. Third, participants reported overrid-
fidentiality very seriously and are skeptical ing differences in flexibility and duality be-
that other coaches without the clinical train- tween coaching and therapy relations: Dual
ing are doing the same. Most therapists who relationships are taboo in therapy, whereas
are doing coaching seem to adhere to the looser boundaries allow the coach much
therapist guidelines and to practice under more latitude than the therapist. Participants
their oath as a psychotherapist. A psycholo- reported that they have much greater flex-
gist from Illinois stated, "Confidentiality in ibility in their coaching relationships and that
coaching must be cleared with the client first. they tend to rely on a more traditional ex-
In therapy, there are laws governing what can pert-subject relationship with clients while
be said and how. You must follow the law." conducting psychotherapy. In addition, they
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Fall 2001
reported a tendency to stay in the here and Concerns About Legality and
now rather than delving into the past in or- Accountability
der to determine why a person is behaving
as he or she is. Issues of ambiguity that arise for thera-
A fourth area of response clustered around pists who are transitioning to coaching in-
the specific client characteristics that a coach clude licensing accountability for practicing
needs to recognize as danger signals requir- as a therapist while coaching, governing
ing referral, with coaches who are not pro- laws, and future legislation. As of now, coach-
fessionally trained clinicians often failing to ing is an unregulated field. There are some
recognize these red flags. Hallmarks of dan- who think this may change in the future, and
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
ger include signs of depression, anxiety at- they are waiting for the first coach to be sued
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236
Fall 2001
interferes with these issues, that could be a to have proficiency and expertise with re-
cue for a referral." Another psychologist rec- gard to all issues" (Laske, 1999, p. 151) that
ommended that coaches have a statement may arise with clients. A coach's aptitude is
they make for themselves and others as to inherently limited by his or her prior expo-
what their limits are and that they verbalize sure to specific cultures and professional
it with examples of what they do and what experiences. Peer supervision can enable
they do not do in coaching: coaches to develop "a proficient methodol-
ogy, theory and personal ability to work in a
Elucidating their coaching processes—such as variety of environments inhabited by cultur-
defining the issues, the goal, the plan of ac- ally diverse people" (Haber, 1996, p. 34).
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
tion, and the deliverables—gives the client If the field of coaching continues to ex-
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
some perimeter or a container to put her/him- pand, as its current popularity suggests, fu-
self into. Then the assumption is that [if the
ture research will no doubt find these and
coach] does these things and the client does
not change, there may be a clinical issue go- other issues worthy of further inquiry. It is
ing on. likely that, as more scientifically validated
coaching practices and their applications are
identified, "professional standards for coach-
Weed for Supervision ing will also emerge" (Laske, 1999, p. 158).
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Fall 2001