There is often confusion between coaching, counselling, consulting and mentoring; it's important to understand the distinctions between these four unique approaches.

Each approach is highly valuable and worthwhile. While they all may have some common threads each one addresses a different need.

How is coaching different than counselling or therapy?

Counselling, or therapy, often looks to the past in order to discover, heal and understand.

Coaching, on the other hand, looks to the future in order to make a good life even better. In coaching, the starting point is the client's desire for personal and professional success. Coaching focuses on forwarding all aspects of the client's life to extraordinary. Coaching is not about how you came to be who you are; it's about getting you from where you are now to a future that you want.

How is coaching different than consulting?

A consultant is an expert who dispenses advice and has answers. The consultant holds the agenda, imparts knowledge and offers suggestions to improve effectiveness and increase success.

Coaching sees the client as creative, capable, intelligent, and having answers within themselves or the resources to find them. Coaches act on the premise that the definitive expert regarding your life and work is you.

How is coaching different than mentoring?

A mentor often has many more years of experience than the person being supported. Mentoring is akin to role-modeling—the client sees attributes, qualities or abilities in the mentor that he/she wishes to learn or emulate.

Coaching is a partnering of two equals which focuses on the unique and intrinsic qualities already within the client that may not be recognised or appreciated. The coach helps the client affirm and embrace their own true self.