What’s the difference between Therapy and Coaching?

Strategic Intervention coaching is a field of change that has grown out of the traditions of Strategic Therapy, Systemic Thinking, Sociology, Ericksonian Hypnosis and Peace Studies. In SI Coaching the focus is on the client’s current life and future goals. We believe in a person’s strengths, ability to learn and grow as well as their good intentions towards the self and others. We teach our coaches to expand the client’s world through creating better relationships, seeking the opinion and support of the client’s family and friends, and also reaching when needed into the client’s own reserve of past positive experiences and relationships. We believe that a coach can do much more than ask questions. It is through teaching the client new skills, concepts, and giving the client actions to do outside of coaching that lasting change is created. SI Coaching differs from Therapy in that a practitioner does not diagnose, focus on pain, or past events or relationships to explain or create change in the current life of the client. In our training, we teach at what point an SI Coach should refer to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Internist, or Therapist and how to continue supporting the client in a coaching relationship even when they are working with another expert.