Therapy vs coaching: which do I need?

People often ask me whether they need therapy or coaching. The honest answer is that it depends on what you want and what is getting in the way.

Coaching tends to look forward. It focuses on goals, decisions, careers and practical change, and it works well when you have a clear sense of where you want to go.

Therapy and counselling make more room for the past and present. They help you understand feelings, patterns and experiences that may be keeping you stuck, such as anxiety, low mood, loss or difficult relationships.

In reality, many people need a bit of both. You might want to change something practical, yet find that old patterns keep pulling you back. Understanding those patterns often makes the change easier to sustain.

My MSc is in integrating psychotherapy, counselling and coaching, so I can move between these ways of working depending on what you need at the time. We can decide together what feels most helpful.

I see clients on Harley Street in Central London (W1), in South Woodford, East London (E18), and online. You are very welcome to book a free 15-minute phone consultation to see whether working together feels right.