8 Reasons to Consider Pivoting from Therapy to Life Coaching
If you’ve been thinking about adding the practice of life coaching to your toolkit as a therapist, you’re not alone. More and more, therapists just like you are transitioning into life coaching or stepping completely into the coaching practice and finding a public who is not only ready but more educated on the difference between therapy and life coaching.
Not only is there great opportunity for expanded clientele in a niche you love, but life coaching can add a sense of freedom from years of clinical burnout.
In fact, many therapists are not “making the switch,” but instead are removing that wall between therapy and coaching and are offering the two practices in tandem. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, it can be “yes, and!”
Signs You Should Consider Pivoting from Therapy to Life Coaching
If you’ve been craving to work within a specific niche and help your clients move actionably forward in achieving their goals, it may be time to consider adding life coaching to your offerings.
Your definition of helping others is expanding. You’re getting more and more interested in - and excited by - helping others take their future into their own hands by setting clear goals and an action plan. You find happiness in helping people heal, gain confidence, and deepen their emotional and mental wellness, but you’re also energized by the practice of helping your clients gain vision for their future and co-create a plan of action forward.
You have a love of continued learning and teaching. You want to continue your own growth by practicing and applying new skills, techniques, questions, and coaching practices to support your coaching clients, but sometimes feel stuck within your restrictions as a therapist.
You are unearthing a proprietary approach. You may be discovering a tried-and-true, unique-to-you approach that you’d like to build a framework upon. As a life coach, this unique framework you’ve designed will give you an edge above any competition.
You find yourself gravitating toward a particular niche. In branding and business, it is wise to select a niche to help target your offerings, messaging, and marketing strategy. If you can already identify a specific group of people who are navigating the same transition or problem, you’re already a massive step ahead!
You find yourself craving to challenge and push your clients, because they are asking to be pushed and challenged to achieve goals. Life coaching differs from therapy in a number of ways, but the primary difference is that as a life coach you move forward from their current baseline of mental, emotional and psychological health. If you’ve been finding yourself - and your clients - eager to set actionable goals and start moving forward quickly, coaching may be for you!
You want to increase your capacity for income without increasing your client base. This one is exciting, because adding life coaching to your toolkit opens you up to an array of financial opportunities - both for you and your clients! We’re not talking about being money-hungry here. There are many ways to create unique programs, experiences, workshops, and packages that financially benefit you while making your offerings more affordable for your clients. As a coach, you can offer high-end experiences as well as low-end offers.
You want to broaden your capacity for trying new business models and approaches. Maybe you have a list of offerings you’d like to try, but feel restrained by therapy protocols, best practices, and “this is the way it’s always been done.” In the coaching profession, the lines of your business model, offerings, and packages can be more fluid, allowing you to try out new and different approaches and structures to the way you conduct business.
You’re excited thinking about crafting a personal brand, and can already visualize your website, branding, messaging, and marketing strategy.
A bonus reason you should consider pivoting from therapy to life coaching (or, adding coaching to your offerings), is the massive credibility gap that still remains in the coaching industry. Don’t feel daunted by the number of professionals-turned-life-coaches in the online marketplace - this is a major gap in which you can stand out. Your years of experience as a therapists showcases your ability to hold space for others, to nurture their emotional and mental health and wellbeing, and to help humans create a life they can thrive in!
