Bridging the coaching/therapy divide: What Co-Active coaches can learn from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

Abstract

This paper situates the coaching/therapy divide within the context of new regulations in Ontario, Canada, that limit the use of the term ‘psychotherapy,’ and the practice of psychotherapy. Taking Co-Active Coaching and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as representative examples of coaching and therapy respectively, I examine each in turn, showing that Co-Active Coaching and ACT, as they are described by their founders, overlap in important ways, to the point they are almost indistinguishable in practice. I conclude that artificially distinguishing between coaching and therapy is unhelpful for therapists and coaches, as well as the client populations they serve. Keywords: