The difference between Consulting, Mentorship, Therapy and Coaching
All of these roles are essential to a business owner or leader at different stages of their life and career.
What’s the difference?
Consultant: An expert in a specific area of business where you may be lacking knowledge or need additional support. Think accountant, operations specialist or marketing. These people are paid to tell you what to do and provide proven solutions.
Mentor: A seasoned expert in the same field as you. They’ve ‘been there done that’ and can provide guidance related to your field. This is often an unpaid relationship.
Therapist: Therapy helps you deal with pain or trauma from the past that is impacting your present psychological state.
Coach: Coaching is a confidential partnership where the coach facilitates a pathway for growth by listening, asking thoughtful questions and providing relevant insight, allowing the client to realize their full potential. Good coaches help clients recognize patterns that may be supporting or hindering their lives.
How to choose a great coach
They have one or more ICF trainings or certifications.
They don’t tell you what to do. They offer observations and provide a space for the client to build their own ideas and solutions.
They always ask permission! Permission to begin coaching and to move out of the coaching role into one of the other roles, if applicable for the situation and if they have the skills
A coach isn’t someone who has an intense life experience they can draw from to help you. While this person may provide value in your life, they aren’t a certified coach
