The worlds of coaching and counseling seem to be converging in a way that allows practitioners in both disciplines to be more effective by drawing upon a wider range of techniques. I'm generally enthusiastic about these changes, but I share the concerns being raised about maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Suzanne Leigh had an extensive article on cognitive therapy in the August 6th San Francisco Chronicle Magazine. Leigh explained that in cognitive therapy...
[D]octor and patient form a collaborative partnership in which healthier life skills are developed to help patients handle challenging situations. Unlike traditional psychodynamic therapy, which evolved from Freudian psychoanalysis and is based on the assumption that depression is usually the result of unresolved unconscious conflicts in childhood, cognitive therapy focuses on the present and is significantly more structured and undertaken over shorter periods.
Cognitive therapy is generally used to help people with depression or anxiety, but many elements of the model remind me of coaching principles employed to help people tackle other, work-related issues: the collaborative partnership between coach and client; the goal of improving skills in order to better address challenges; and a short-term, structured engagement. As Leigh's article makes clear, there is some controversy over cognitive therapy, and I'm not suggesting that it's a panacea--but I do believe in the efficacy of the coaching model, and I'm encouraged to see it reflected in these counseling practices.
The following week, Hannah Karp had an article in the August 11th Wall Street Journal on therapists, social workers and other counselors who have integrated physical activity (from tennis to running to yoga) into their work with clients. Karp notes that the substitution of antidepressants for traditional psychotherapy has encouraged counselors to explore alternative forms of treatment, and that a growing awareness of the psychological benefits of exercise has resulted in new forms of "physical therapy."
In this context the parallels with coaching are are even more obvious--some of these practitioners are actual athletic coaches who've simply integrated counseling practices into their work with clients. And again, there's some controversy--Karp quotes a therapist who sounds a cautionary note: "To maintain boundaries, people need to be very cautious... If you play tennis with them, where do you stop?"
Although I think coaches and counselors have much to learn from each other and that there are substantial parallels between their practices, I also think it's important to understand the distinction between the disciplines and to insure that the client is getting their needs met appropriately. It's a fascinating dialogue, though, and I hope it continues to result in fruitful collaboration.
