Therapy vs. Coaching: Which One Do You Need Right Now?

A Self-Reflection Guide

We all carry stories - of where we’ve come from, and of where we long to go. Sometimes we need help making sense of the past; sometimes we need a guide to step into the future. Therapy and coaching are both powerful, but they serve us in different seasons of life.

This guide will help you reflect on what kind of support meets you right now.

1. Ask Yourself These Questions

If most of these feel true for you, therapy may serve you best right now:

• I want to process and heal pain from my past that I haven’t fully understood.

• I find myself replaying old wounds, relationships, or family dynamics that still weigh heavily on me.

• My emotions sometimes feel overwhelming or difficult to regulate.

• I need a safe space to explore trauma, grief, or unresolved experiences.

  
  

If most of these feel true for you, coaching may serve you best right now:

• I already have some understanding of my story and my patterns.

• I want clarity about what I truly want in my career, relationships, or lifestyle.

• I’m ready to change my habits but need accountability and structure.

• I want to design the next chapter of my life with intention.

2. Consider This Metaphor

• Therapy is like looking in the rearview mirror. You see how the road you’ve traveled has shaped you, and you gain compassion and understanding for the journey.

• Coaching is like setting your GPS forward. You choose a destination, adjust the route, and begin taking steps toward where you want to go.

  
  

Both hold deep values. Both are valid. But where you place your focus - depends on what you need most today.

3. Your Next Step

Remember: choosing support is not about declaring who you are forever - it’s about what will serve you best right now.

If you feel pulled toward therapy, seek a licensed professional who resonates with you.If you feel pulled toward coaching, know that it’s about forward movement - clarifying what you want, and creating the conditions to live it.

4. Journal Prompt

• “What is one story from my past that still shapes how I speak to myself today?”

• “What is one story I long to write for my future?”

If you are curious to explore further, begin with a conversation. Sometimes the clarity we seek doesn’t come from reading more, but from being witnessed in our questions. If you find yourself still unsure which path is right for you, therapy, coaching, or perhaps both, I invite you to a discovery call. Together we can explore what kind of support resonates with where you are, and where you long to go.