Therapy: past, problems, mental health.
Coaching: present, solutions, mental strength.
Mountain climbing metaphor:
If you’re climbing a mountain, you may consider hiring an expert sherpa or a doctor. If you’re feeling unwell or risk physical danger on the ascent, bringing a doctor with you may be wise. If you’re healthy and need someone to help you with climbing strategy and supplies, bringing a sherpa may make sense. In this metaphor, the doctor is like a therapist, and the sherpa is like a coach.
Energy consumption metaphor:
A power plant converts coal into energy that can be used to power homes, vehicles, and devices. If something in the machinery of the power plant breaks down so that it can no longer convert the fuel into energy, you’ll want to hire a mechanic to fix the problem. The mechanic is like a therapist–if you get repeatedly stuck with deep-rooted negative emotions, a therapist can help diagnose and treat severe emotional issues.
On the other hand, you may want to hire an engineer or scientist to increase your fuel consumption efficiency or to upgrade your fuel source to renewable energy so that it’s cheaper and more sustainable. The engineer or scientist is like a coach–if you’re looking to discover and achieve your goals, a coach can help you more productively channel your emotions to do so.
To summarize, you may want to hire a mechanic—similar to a therapist—to fix broken machinery. Or you may want to hire an engineer or scientist—similar to a coach—to optimize your infrastructure’s efficiency and output. Or you may want to hire both.
