What Clients Need to Know Before Choosing Support
Over the past decade, the mental health and personal development space has grown rapidly. Alongside licensed therapy, life coaching has become increasingly popular and widely marketed. While both can offer value, they are not the same, and misunderstanding the difference can lead clients to receive care that does not meet their needs—or puts them at risk.
Understanding the distinction between therapy and life coaching is essential before choosing who to trust with your mental health.
What Is Therapy?
Therapy (also called psychotherapy or counseling) is a regulated healthcare service.
To legally provide therapy, a professional must:
Hold at least a master’s degree in a mental health field
Complete thousands of supervised clinical hours
Pass state licensing exams
Be licensed by the state in which they practice
Adhere to ethical codes, clinical standards, and legal accountability
Maintain continuing education to keep their license active
Therapists are trained to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions such as:
Anxiety and depression
Trauma and PTSD
Addiction and compulsive behaviors
Relationship and attachment issues
Emotional regulation and identity concerns
Therapy is designed to safely address both current functioning and underlying psychological patterns.
Can Therapists Also Be Life Coaches?
Yes.
All licensed therapists can function as life coaches if they choose to.
Therapists already possess:
Advanced training in behavior change
Psychological theory and human development
Risk assessment and ethical decision-making
Evidence-based intervention skills
When therapists offer coaching-style work, they do so from a foundation of clinical training, which allows them to recognize when deeper issues are present and when therapy—not coaching—is required.
What Is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is an unregulated industry.
There is currently:
No required degree
No licensing board
No standardized training
No legal scope of practice
No mandatory ethics oversight
Anyone can call themselves a life coach—regardless of education, training, or experience.
Some coaches are thoughtful, skilled, and operate responsibly. However, others may unintentionally work outside their competence, especially when clients present with:
Trauma histories
Addiction
Mood disorders
Relationship trauma
Mental health symptoms requiring clinical care
This is where problems can arise.
Why This Distinction Matters for Clients
When someone seeks help, they are often vulnerable, overwhelmed, or in emotional pain. Without clinical training, a coach may:
Miss signs of mental illness
Overlook trauma responses
Encourage strategies that worsen symptoms
Fail to recognize when referral to therapy is necessary
Therapists are trained specifically to do no harm, recognize risk, and respond appropriately when deeper intervention is required.
A Simple Rule for Clients
If your goals involve:
Mental health symptoms
Emotional distress
Trauma or addiction
Relationship dysfunction
Long-standing behavioral patterns
➡️ You should be working with a licensed therapist.
If your goals are limited to:
Accountability for specific actions
Career or performance optimization
Short-term goal setting without emotional distress
➡️ Coaching may be appropriate—if the coach stays within ethical limits.
An Informed Choice Is an Empowered Choice
Life coaching and therapy are not interchangeable. While coaching may offer structure and motivation, it does not replace the depth, safety, or accountability of licensed mental health care.
Clients deserve transparency about who they are working with, what training they have, and what protections are in place.
At Transcend Counseling, we believe informed clients make better decisions—and safer ones.
Looking for Professional Mental Health Support?
If you’re seeking therapy from a licensed clinician with real-world experience treating complex emotional and behavioral concerns, we’re here to help.
📍 In-person and telehealth services available
📍 Licensed in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina