Therapist vs. Mental Health Life Coach: Important-- READ ALL ABOUT IT!

So if you haven't noticed yet, I AM NOT A THERAPIST! Let me repeat that. I AM NOT A THERAPIST! I am a Licensed Social Worker and a Licensed School Counselor. I can provide emotional support, active listening, coping strategies, set goals, help achieve goals, help with boundaries, provide accountability, and a lot of other things. I cannot and will not provide therapy. I can provide a list of resources for therapist in your area but I will not be your therapist.

With that being said, I want to spend a minute explaining the difference between a therapist and a mental health life coach:

• A therapist is a licensed mental health professional (LCSW or LPC) who diagnoses and treats mental health conditions through evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychotherapy. They help clients work through past trauma, mental illnesses and conditions. A mental health life coach (what I am calling myself), on the other hand, is not a licensed therapist and does not diagnose or treat mental illnesses. Instead, they focus on helping clients set and achieve personal goals, improve mindset, and develop coping strategies for stress and daily life challenges. While therapy is often more focused on healing, coaching is geared toward personal growth and future success.

• Therapist, licensed counselors, psychologist, and social workers are legally bound by strict confidentiality laws, such as HIPAA (in the United States), which protect client information. They can only break confidentiality in specific situations, such as when a client poses a danger to themselves or others, reports abuse, or if required by a court order. Mental health life coaches, on the other hand, are not bound by the same legal confidentiality requirements. While ethical coaches respect client privacy, their confidentiality agreements are typically based on personal or business policies rather than legal mandates. This means the boundaries around confidentiality are looser, and clients should clarify the coach's privacy policies before sharing sensitive information.

  • As a Licensed Social Worker myself I am held to a high standard of ethics, privacy, and confidentiality. I am also held to the standard of reporting abuse or breaking confidentiality if a client poses a threat to themselves or others. So just keep all that in mind. Long story short: I will report abuse, self harm, or report if a client poses a threat to others.

If you are unclear if Life Coaching is a good fit for you-- reach out. Let's chat and see if this would be a good fit for you or if a therapist would be a better fit.

Until next time,

Coach Kaci