The Differences Between A Coach, Teacher & Consultant

Travelling Companion - Thought Partner - Confidante - Creative Collaborator - Friend - Cheerleader - Gracious Truth Teller - Accountability Holder - Backstop - Perspective Taker - Reminder - 

Ventilator - Question Asker - Conversationalist

Expert on Your Life or Business - Advice Giver - Superior - Helpmate - Fixer - Solver of Your Problems - Teacher - Consultant - Therapist

The lines between these two professions can easily blur without the coach maintaining good boundaries.  But boundaries are not walls, and so occassionally a coach may teach and a teacher may often use a coaching style in teaching.  One difference is that the relationship between coach and client is that of equals whereas there is a significant power differential in the relationship between teacher, who is somewhat of an expert on a subject matter, and a student who is the recipient of the information the teacher is providing.  Generally speaking a teacher, in a position of authority, tells or instructs while a coach asks, keeping the locus of control within the client.  

Like a teacher, a consultant is also an expert.  The consultant is being paid to solve problems that a client cannot seem to figure outor does not have time and energy to invest on it and then provide advice or solutions/recommendations that the client can employ to fix their problem.  A coach may or may not have expertise in the subject matter needing investigation, but nevertheless, puts the locus of control back on the client to solve the problem through his or her own inner/outer investigations.  The coach facilitates this process by asking insightful questions during coaching conversations and providing homework and coaching tools that empower the client to increase his or her awareness, discern available choices and take response-able actions to make changes they desire or implement what they seek.  The coach also gains the client's committment and holds the client accountable for committments made.

No.  But this line is also blurry.

Therapy is about alleviating symptoms and healing from psychological distress, often - but not always - with a power differential between therapist (as expert and director or guide) and client (as patient and follower).  Typically, a therapist is a licensed psychologist or social worker trained in testing, diagnosing and prescribing treatment protocols, which may or may not involve pharmaceuticals under the supervision of a psychiatrist. Treatment can include a backtrack with a client through their life history to help them uncover and resolve inner conflicts, personality adaptations, inner beliefs and other attitudes and behaviors that have become problematic in the client's life. Some therapies, like good coaching, involve bringing what is unconscious to consciousness so that the client can see themselves more honestly and make appropriate changes.  A critique of early and traditional therapeautic approaches is that it has tended to pathologize normal.  What was often seen as character defects is now becoming seen by some therapeutic approaches as character defenses to relational traumas and other traumatic events.  Goals in both therapy and coaching can be for the client to re-establish connection to his or her True Self and develop more complete self awareness and self acceptance.  This of its own accord establishes a basis for genuine connection with Self and others, emotional regulation and well-being.

In coaching, the goals do not revolve around alleviating symptoms or healing from traumatic histories - though this may be a byproduct.  There is no treatment protocol.  Typically, coaches emphasize 'forwarding the action', with a goal of helping a client get unstuck and take actions to achieve the life the client wants.  With some clients at a certain stage of life, this coaching approach may fit the situation perfectly, and I offer it.  With others at a different stage of life, I refrain from forwarding the action because I feel that may do more harm than good.  There are essential lessons applicable to life and business that can only be gained by hanging out and making space and time for that feeling of being stuck, even if it feels awful.  The last thing I want to do is influence a client in some way to move too quickly out and away from what may be necessary suffering.  I do not say this fllippantly.  This approach sets me apart from many life and business coaches.  Another difference between therapy and coaching is that I, as coach, am a co-equal partner with the you, the client.  I am not the expert on your life and situation - you are!  I suspect that somewhere inside, you know what you need.  I simply accompany you, ask questions that empower your own self awareness and perspective taking and bring other tools that could facilitate your journey toward obtaining what you want.

Many coaches have come from a professional counseling and therapy background.  I, Andy Brown of Third Force, LLC do not.  Yet I have been actively engaged in my own therapy and deep healing for over a decade and have found it to be an essential part of my personal growth and development.  Third Force, LLC provides coaching tools that the client can utilize to go deep inside and explore their personal life history and how it may impact values, beliefs and actions.  This work may assist in a client healing old wounds responsible for their being stuck, but healing is not the primary objective.  Many clients find that working with a therapist first or while engaged with a coach is an effective option.

Third Force, LLC can serve clients in either roles of coach, teacher or consultant and often on the same contract.  We will be clear with our clients when we are shifting between these different roles.  We prefer the coaching relationship because experience seems to suggest that clients will take more ownership of changes they intend to make when they are the ones to have discovered them rather than having an outside expert tell them what to do.  Sometimes however a client simply needs to be taught a certain subject matter, so we gladly instruct when asked.  This is especially true for new business/nonprofit founders & staff.