Coaching vs Psychotherapy in Health and Wellness: Overlap, Dissimilarities, and the Potential for Collaboration

Abstract

Health coaches and psychotherapists both work with the art and science of facilitating change in their patients and clients. While the evolving field of health coaching and the established disciplines of clinical or counseling psychology share major areas of overlap, there are also significant distinctions between the two fields. This article outlines those similarities and dissimilarities with the intention of fostering a cooperative and mutually enriching stance between the two helping professions for the benefit of the respective professionals and the countless clients and patients they serve.