Coach, Consultant, Counselor
Know the Difference and Reap the Rewards
Perhaps there’s something in your life that needs to be dealt with. Or something that’s missing. Maybe your work life has flatlined or isn’t making the progress you desire. Or maybe you don’t even know which end is up!
It’s often said that recognizing a problem is the first step in resolving it. In many cases, we at least have a vague idea of what our problem might be. Or at least we recognize the symptoms and consider them the problem.
When you have a fever and cough, you either search out those symptoms online, or you visit a healthcare provider who can help you with your symptoms. You might not know the underlying reason for your symptoms. But you do expect the “professional” to recognize them and treat you appropriately.
Things may not be that clear when you’re dealing with other life issues. Maybe you’re just not happy in life. You think you should be further along than you feel you are. Who do you go to that can “diagnose” your problem and give you a prescription to make things better?
Often when you look for a professional to provide coaching, consulting, or counseling, you might see these terms used interchangeably. There are a good number of companies that advertise providing both coaching and consulting. Some services claim to provide coaching and counseling. Do you need two services or only one?
Understanding the primary function of a coach, a consultant, and a counselor can help you decide who to ask for help. This article provides definitions (from credible sources) of each of these “helper” roles in order to get the help you’re looking for.
Definitions can be hard to pinpoint. Why? Think about the coaches and counselors that you or someone you know may have already encountered. There are accountability coaches, career coaches, life coaches, sports coaches, team coaches, voice coaches, and more. There are education counselors, marriage counselors, mental health counselors, spiritual counselors, rehabilitation counselors, and more. There are as many consultants as there are types of businesses!
Things can get more complicated. If you’ve worked in the corporate world, you may have had a manager or supervisor who did all three for you (but you weren’t called a client then!). Your boss may have given you counseling when your performance wasn’t where she wanted it to be. She may have scheduled coaching sessions to help you gain work skills or be promotable. She may have also given you consulting advice on your personal or work life.
Here are some simple definitions for these three roles.
A coach (this definition covers career, executive, leadership, life, relational coaches, to name a few) as defined by the International Coach Federation is someone who partners “with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”[1]
According to the American Counseling Association, a counselor is someone who provides “a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.”[2]
The Institute of Management Consultants describes a consultant as someone “who, for a fee, provides independent and objective advice to management of client organizations to define and achieve their goals through improved utilization of resources.”[3]
Beyond Definitions
If you pondered each of the definitions above, you may have concluded that one, two, or all three of these professionals could have a role in your life. How do you choose where to start? Here’s a better way of looking at it.
Think about two things: What I know versus what I don’t know, and where my growth need resides (in the past, present, or future).
Both counseling and consulting address what you don’t know, providing you with the information you need. Coaching addresses what you already know (but maybe hampered by fear, insecurity, or a lack of confidence).
Counseling addresses things from your past that affect your present. Consulting and coaching help you move from your present to your future.
In most personal or professional growth situations, you may feel stuck from time to time. Are you stuck because your past is holding you back, and you don’t know how to address it? Then you need a counselor to help you get out of the past and start living today.
Is your business not growing the way you want it to? Do you need help identifying and jumping over the hurdles that are coming your way? Then it would help if you had a consultant to give you expert advice to reach your future goals.
Do you want more out of life? Maybe you already know what you want and, at least vaguely, know how to move that direction, but need someone to walk alongside you. Then it would be best if you had a coach to help you get there.
If you’re visual, here’s how I sketched that out:
You might notice a progression. Something in your past is preventing you from living a full life in the present. So, you find a counselor to work with. He takes you through identified issues, and you can see the healing of your past pains.
Once you’re living in the present, you can successfully begin to reach toward your future. If you’re a business owner, that might involve getting a consult to help your business grow to better success. But for most of us, a personal coach can help us move from where we are to where we want to be.
Today is a great day to consider coaching to improve your future. Many personal life coaches offer a free complementary call to help you decide if coaching is right for you.
[1] International Coach Federation. “Frequently Asked Questions” on CoachFederation.org. Accessed on 19 December 2020 at: https://coachfederation.org/faqs?fwp_faqs_categories=icf-and-professional-coaching
[2] American Counseling Association. “20/20: Consensus Definition of Counseling” on Counseling.org. Accessed on 19 December 2020 at: https://www.counseling.org/about-us/about-aca/20-20-a-vision-for-the-future-of-counseling/consensus-definition-of-counseling
[3] Institute of Management Consultants. “Who Are We” on IMCUSA.org. Accessed on 19 December 2020 at: https://www.imcusa.org/page/ABOUTCONSULTING