What Therapists Should Know About Coaching

Lisa Marie Bobby:   Are you a therapist who is coaching curious? If so, you are in the right place because on today’s episode of love, happiness, and success for therapists, we are going to be talking about the intersection of therapy and coaching, whether you are a seasoned therapist or new to the field, you might be curious about coaching.

And this episode is for you. So I am glad you’re here with me today. I’m your host, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby. I am the founder of Growing Self Counseling and Coaching and I am a licensed marriage and family therapist. I’m a licensed psychologist, but I’m also a certified coach and I love coaching and I’m so excited to talk with you about what coaching is, what it isn’t, how it works, so that you, as a therapist, can get some insight into this.

This whole new world this way of creating transformation for people that you may not have been exposed to previously. Because the truth is, as therapists, we have extensive education, training. We have dedicated ourselves to understanding the human psyche and really not just the art, but the craft of how to help people heal and grow.

But in my experience, there is a huge gap, a big missing piece in the learning that therapists are exposed to that is really a shame. And that is related to coaching psychology and how useful and really powerful it is. And despite. It being so effective and very much in alignment with evidence based psychological principles when conducted in the hands of people who know what they’re doing, like therapists, like you, coaching psychology is It’s not in the curriculum of a regular counseling degree.

It wasn’t in any of mine. I had to post grad go and pursue coach training and credentialing elsewhere. And that’s really a shame. Because It is such an interesting and powerful and effective modality, but it is also something that many therapists don’t feel like they have access to. And so today we’re going to explore why this matters and also why embracing coaching can enrich your practice, help you better serve your clients, but also help you create the kind of life and professional experience that you really want to have.

And the first thing that we should talk about for sure are the myths about coaching and I think what it has become as a zeitgeist in the world By people who are not therapists who practice coaching and you’ve probably Seen it yourself. You probably have these ads in your own Facebook or Instagram feed.

I mean there are these Influencers these self anointed gurus promising life altering transformations with their you know universe shattering coaching programs and while these people are very good salespeople and marketing people and often have, gained a lot of attention, it’s important to know that they probably don’t represent what I believe is the true essence of coaching and coaching psychology.

It may surprise you to know that coaching when done right and with intention and with, mindfulness and with a strategy is evidence based coaching psychology comes from counseling psychology. It is the offspring of counseling psychology. It is not a totally different thing than what you already know.

And it is very much in alignment with psychological principles that are very trustworthy and well established. And coaching is really a It has the power to create lasting change, sometimes more effectively than therapy with certain populations, and more tangible, obvious, external changes can often be more possible through coaching than through what we know how to do in psychotherapy.

And other industries are taking notice of this. So for example, the healthcare insurance industry has noticed the value of coaching. And you may or may not know that many times, especially large healthcare insurance organizations are first referring clients with mild concerns, life transitions, just got out of a breakup, need to talk to somebody, they’re going to coaches for first they’re going to apps and then if that doesn’t work, then they go to coaches.

And then if there’s like a more major mental health thing going on that requires diagnosis and treatment, that’s when a therapist will get a referral. And I think that this in itself just speaks volumes about the potential of coaching because the efficacy is there. But I think it also highlights the significant challenge, which is that the things that we as therapists believe are in our domain are being actively siphoned off to coaches even by insurance companies.

And these coaches frequently have A fraction of the education, training experience, if that, then we do. Coaching is a completely unregulated profession. You heard that a lot of people are surprised to know this even. Coaching is a totally unregulated profession. Literally anyone can. And sadly does declare themselves to be a coach and start practicing on unsuspecting consumers.

You don’t have to take a test. You don’t have to register anywhere there. There is coach credentialing that people can pursue, but most don’t. And this I think has led to a tarnished reputation. For the field for the profession of coaching and that in itself can make therapists shy away from it.

Oh no, that’s weird. That’s wacko. That’s woo. I don’t want to get involved with that. It is a mistake for us as therapists to avoid recognizing the value that legitimate coaches and coaching practices can bring to the table. Especially in the areas that frankly, we really want to be operating in.

Yes. Mental health care and treatment is important. Great. And it’s a thing. And if you’ve devoted your profession to that, maybe coaching wouldn’t be as interesting for you. But if you like doing work around personal development, personal growth, career, life transitions. relationship improvement, the common things that high functioning clients, especially are coming in wanting our help with making a decision.

How do I have better relationships? How do I meet the right person? I really want to feel better about myself and my life and, take better care of myself. Yeah, let’s do this as therapists. And that is not what we learned how to do in traditional therapy. In fact, our training as therapists revolves around diagnosing and treating mental health conditions.

And even, coming out of a degree in marriage and family therapy at the core of those is the goal is not necessarily relationship improvement. It is about the restoration of functioning that contributes to relational improvement. But often what our clients want is support in their personal growth, their professional growth.

They want to feel like they’re more connected or have better communication with their partner. And that is not the intentional outcome of therapy. Most of the time. This is where coaching really shines. And without coaching. Knowing how to incorporate coaching techniques into our practice. We are at a significant disadvantage because if you have clients come to you wanting to have this kind of experience and all you know how to do is keep talking about their parents divorce and not translate that and helping them move forward into other areas of their lives or, zeroing in on potential psychopathology.

They’re going to feel frustrated and feel like it isn’t working for them and you’re going to feel bad too because you want to be helpful and won’t understand why what you’re trying to do isn’t clicking and isn’t connecting with this person that you have such a genuine heart to be of service to. And just for the record, and I’m going to take a stand on this one.

I believe that anyone practicing as a coach or offering coaching services, unless it is very specific, like unless you’re a golf coach or maybe a business coach, right? If it’s happening in like a personal development or relational realm, that provider should have a voice. foundational, solid, educational, and experiential background in psychology and mental health.

I want every single person practicing relational or personal coaching to have a master’s degree or a doctorate in counseling psychology and be like something that licensed. Therapists do because for me, this would ensure that the person providing coaching are capable is capable of assessing for and treating mental health conditions when that is what actually is the most appropriate thing.

Because it’s also true that people show up for coaching and that I as a therapist might be like, okay, great. Let’s do coaching. Start talking to them. And they like, You have untreated PTSD and I’d love to help you achieve these goals, but that isn’t going to be possible for you until these symptoms are well managed.

So let’s work on that, right? We need to know enough to be able to assess and have those conversations because otherwise the potential for harm is zero. is huge. If, they’re meeting with some coach who two days ago was a real estate agent, but I went to a weekend seminar and now I’m like, I’m going to change your life.

And has no idea what’s going on with that person. So also I think we as therapists are So ingrained in the ethics of the helping profession, the ethical standards around the way we handle those relationships, confidentiality, our caution around prioritizing the needs and rights and feelings and world views of our clients, and just providing competent support and basic counseling skills.

Those are all things that we are all doing back and forth. We do it in our sleep. And that is the standard, basic level of care that I think coaching clients deserve too. And it’s also true, unregulated coaches without any training can cause a lot of harm to people. If there is a client with serious, issues or God forbid, risk factors and that coach can’t see it or does not have any idea how to intervene appropriately can result in terrible consequences for that client.

But the other side of that ethical equation, I do think needs to be said out loud. I do believe that trying to provide therapy to clients who Won’t benefit from therapy. They would benefit from coaching can also lead to a lot of missed opportunities and a lot of wasted time and money and resources, which is a shame.

Probably the risk factors aren’t quite as dramatic in that scenario. But there’s a trusting relationship and if somebody is coming in and paying you money to help them get results in These areas of their life and talk therapy and gaining insight and self awareness and peeling the onion is just not creating any movement at all.

At some point you need to call that. And I would refer you back to another podcast episode I recorded on the topic of when to let therapy clients go just to get a deeper understanding of how to make some of those judgment calls. Whether or not you decide to pursue coaching yourself as a therapist, it’s important to understand what coaching is saying.

for who it’s for so that you can also assess a client and say, you know what? Continuing to do this with me isn’t in your best interest either. Let me refer you to a wonderful therapist I know who practices coaching. I think they’ll be better able to get you where you really want to go than I would at this point.

That is such an ethical and honorable thing to say. So we need to know about coaching. Additionally, by Learning about coaching, whether or not you become credential, but at the very least being able to incorporate coaching techniques into your modality of therapy can make your work a lot more effective and also allow you to serve your clients better.

ways you will be better able to meet the needs of people coming to you, seeking growth or positive change in different areas of your life. And this can be not just positive for your clients, but really positive for you too. Especially if you don’t. Love focusing on mental health stuff all the time and want to do work that feels more enjoyable for you being able to provide coaching to people who benefit from coaching can feel like a very refreshing and rewarding shift away from the medical model of mental health treatment.

For many therapists that I know and work with. Coaching feels more like the work that they want to do. Their original vision of what it would be like as a therapist actually becomes available to them when they become certified as a coach, interestingly. And so there are a lot of reasons to get familiar with coaching.

And if you are feeling inspired and ready to expand your professional horizons, coaching certification can be a fantastic avenue to explore. I will tell you that the reason why I developed my own coaching certification programs for therapists is because most Coach credentialing and training programs even the better ones are not designed for therapists.

They are designed for civilians who would like to do coaching and who do not have any of the background, the education, the counseling skills, that foundational knowledge that you do, and it’s a The, punchline for those kinds of coaching certification programs that are just for anybody to take, the punchline is frequently when to refer to therapy, which of course is something that we also need visibility in as therapists who are practicing as coaches.

To enter into an evidence based coach training program designed by therapists who coach for therapist to coach. It creates a much more multidimensional experience, incorporating assessment and direction that helps you determine which approach to take, how to structure the work differently, and a lot around the difference between coaching and therapy so that you can learn What of what you know how to do is absolutely appropriate and helpful in this new realm versus how to understand when you’re operating as a coach, when you may be sliding back into this more familiar therapist mentality without even realizing it.

Those are things that we need to learn about that other people who don’t have our backgrounds don’t know. So that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing here at Growing Self around our coaching certification programs. They’re all evidence based and really tailored to leverage your existing knowledge base and counseling skills while empowering you to apply them in new and impactful ways.

So if you’re interested in learning more, of course, you’re invited to come and visit me at growingself. com forward slash therapists. There you can actually access all kinds of things that I have for you. So there’s podcasts of other topics that you might be interested in, informational articles, self assessments, but you’ll also find access to our coaching programs.

If you’re interested in learning more about what those are, how they work and what they can do for you, then I’ll just share. Personally for me, making the decision to embrace coaching really with pride, it, for me, opened the doors to so many new opportunities. I felt so much more empowered to support my clients in their growth journeys.

I felt that it brought a really refreshing, positive energy to the work that I was doing. And it felt like a much more positive and empowering path and way for me to be a helper and do the work that I really love doing. So I’m excited to create opportunities for other clinicians to have that same kind of professional development experience and transform your practice to as well as the lives of those you seek to serve.

So again, you can learn more about it at growingself. com forward slash therapists if you’re interested. Otherwise, I’ll be back in touch with you next week for another episode of Love, Happiness and Success. for therapists, for you. Talk to you later.