Coaching involves a collaborative effort, a give-and-take process where you take what you already know to be true, and expand on that knowledge with habit change methods and exercises. A coach helps you tap into your own inner wisdom to achieve the goals you choose, to help you succeed at anything YOU decide is important. The coach’s role isn’t to give you advice on HOW to live, but to help you learn how you WANT to live.
Therapy is designed to help you heal when you want to “feel better.” A therapist is a licensed professional with an educational degree. A therapist or counselor often analyzes the past to find ways to help you understand your present behaviors or condition. They are qualified to provide mental health care and personal growth development and often accept medical insurance benefits. For more serious behaviors, a therapist can get you to the point to where a coach can then take over.
Both have areas that overlap and a good coach can often provide similar results that a therapist would, depending on your needs, and motivation to change. I think of a therapist the same way I would a Physician. I use a therapist for a limited time for a specific need that is overwhelming. Coaching can be used for either short or long-term assistance in determining your path in any specific realm.