Life Coach v. Counselor and more

A recent Facebook post as well as questions from several clients recently prompted this blog post.  It has been a long time since I posted…although I have about 20 drafts saved.  I have been doing more than procrastinating; I’ve been busy writing articles for Delux Magazine (article 1 & article 2) and Spoken Vizions Magazine! Check them out when you have a moment.

Anyway…on to the topic. The short version of what could become a long rant about the differences between what a Life Coach does and what Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, etc. do is this:

Professionals Counselors offer services that are a better fit for the vast majority of people.

Life coaches are not qualified to address issues of one’s past or any ongoing mental health issues such as anxiety or depression, or working through issues such as trauma, divorce, social concerns, personal issues, or grief.  I believe most people are affected, in some way, by issues that require more skill than a Life Coach can provide.

Here is my brief summary of what each of these professionals generally do, which is based on education, experience, and the 2008 article posted in Counseling Today:

Life Coaches work with clients to set and reach their goals related to life and/or work.  They offer support and hold clients accountable.

Social Workers (though some have clinical training) are generally trained to connect people to services and address human services issues on personal and community levels.

Psychologists work with individuals who struggle with mental health concerns.  They are trained to test and diagnose patients.

Psychiatrists are physicians who work from a medical model.  They most often prescribe medications for clients suffering from depression and severe disorders such as schizophrenia.

Counselors view clients as “stuck” versus “sick”.  We help people find healing from issues in their past and to achieve their goals for living a healthy life.  We sometimes help connect people to services as well as offer career, marriage, and family counseling.

A great quote from the article sums it up: “Therapy is about uncovering and recovering, while coaching is about discovering.”  In my practice, I do both.  I want clients to come to my office and we work through their concerns and address what is keeping them from living up to their potential.  In addition, my clients leave with a plan.  I want them to be empowered to make the necessary changes they desire in their life.  Each week, we work on what is holding you back, and how we can reach your goals.  I want clients to be mentally (& socially), physically, and spiritually balanced and we work in all these areas.

I hope this “short version” helps clarify what each of these valuable professionals do.  Let me know your thoughts!

Bonus material beautifully summarized courtesy of Wikipedia: 

*****************************This is waaaaaay more info than most people need but…mental health professionals work from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).  The DSM-IV organizes each psychiatric diagnosis into five dimensions (axes) relating to different aspects of disorder or disability:

Axis I: All diagnostic categories except mental retardation and personality disorder. Examples: depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and schizophrenia. Counselors, Clinical Social Workers, Psychologists, and Psychiatrists address these issues.

Axis II: Personality disorders and mental retardation. Examples: paranoid, schizoid, borderline, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive personality disorders; and intellectual disabilities. Psychologists and Psychiatrists primarily address these issues however many Counselors and CLINICAL Social Workers are also trained to work with clients with some axis II diagnoses.

Axis III: General medical condition; acute medical conditions and physical disorders. Physicians address these issues.

Axis IV: Psychosocial and environmental factors contributing to the disorder. Counselors and Social Workers address these issues. (You would be paying a fortune to talk to a Psychiatrist about these issues!)

Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning or Children's Global Assessment Scale for children and teens under the age of 18.*****************************

Black suicide and the stigma of mental illness

After the suicides of some prominent African-Americans in recent history (Junior Seau, Chris Lighty, Don Cornelius), I came across an article about the stigma of suicide in the black community: http://blackdoctor.org/12194/black-suicide-stigma/  I also recently took and passed a simple suicide prevention and referral test which is open to anyone here: http://www.asklistenrefer.org/

In the black community, mental illness has a negative stigma.  Those afflicted by some form of mental illness are seen as "crazy" or "messed up" and are mocked or avoided rather than helped.  This only perpetuates the cycle.  One of the parts of the article that resonated with me was "This culture of silence continues to be a significant risk factor for many health disparities in the Black community, particularly mental illness...".  If we are hurting, why don't we ask for help?

What is mental illness?  Almost anything that affects a person's regular/normal functioning like depression, anxiety (bad nerves), and/or hearing voices or seeing things that are not there. Some causes can be: clinical illnesses, medical problems, legal troubles, relationship troubles,  drug and alcohol use, violence, money problems, and more.  Black women and returning veterans are at a higher risk than most for experiencing depression and suicide attempts.

We, as a community, need to break away from this cycle of self-abuse. Instead of putting one another down, try lifting people up.  Offer help...even if you don't know what "help" means.  A threat of suicide is often a cry for help and all you have to do is listen and refer them for professional help.  There should be NO SHAME in asking for help.

If you or someone you know is hurting, there are ways to help.  Be a friend and listen to someone who might be at risk.  Don't be afraid to ask them are they thinking about suicide.  The church is a good source of help for black Americans as we tend to rely heavily on our faith in God.  There are all kinds of counselors in the community who are able to offer services as well.  If you are not insured, ask for a sliding fee scale. Some counselors (and future counselors like me!) will provide services at low or no cost to those in need.

Suicide in the black community is real.  When people make threats, BELIEVE THEM!  They are not crazy, they need our help.