What is the difference between Coaching and Counselling?

Coaching and counseling are commonly encountered in terms of the psychological/self-help scene. They are the little brother and sister of THERAPY.

Therapy is a big word and ‘psychotherapy’ can sound intimidating. Not to mention the stigma. Therapy is widely believed to be for people who have some kind of psychological problems, childhood trauma or are mentally ill. This is a shame, as there are many types of therapy and many people could benefit from taking a closer look at their psychological workings.

Coaching and counseling are a little less intimidating. Many people want to improve some area of their life but are unsure as to ho to go about doing so. Or they have a personal or domestic problem, which does not qualify as a ‘mental health problem’, but it would still help to have someone to talk things over with and confide in. This is where coaching and counseling comes in.  In the first case, they would seek out a coach to guide them as they embark on a journey to achieve their well-defined goals. In the latter case, they might seek out the help of a counselor who will listen while they try to order their lives. A counselor is a sounding board, someone that helps to identify what the problem actually is.

Coaches and counselors have usually undergone some form of psychology training. They also often use some other specific method to help clients find the answers to their problems or guide them on their journey of self-exploration.

In many ways, psychological astrology is an ideal method to use in conjunction with coaching or counseling techniques.  A natal horoscope is a personal blueprint – your own, unique roadmap! However, this is not to say that astrology is deterministic. It does not prescribe a particular path. Instead, it reveals the wealth of individual resources and the spectrum of personal potential, as well as sensitive periods, and psychodynamic patterns that are at work within the psyche. All of these can take ages to uncover when using more standard coaching and counseling methods. The imagery of astrology speaks an archetypal language that is immediately and intuitively accessible held together than the psychological canons of complexes and syndromes.

The essence of astrology is self-discovery, to become aware of one’s potential and to make sense of the energetic patterns, the twists and turns that make up one’s path through life. Potential is always pluralistic – there is never just one way of expressing or experiencing it. And that is, where personal freedom comes into it. We are born with a particular potential but how we choose to use it is ultimately our own choice – not fate.

Character is destiny, but the character can be worked on and changed, which implies that our fate ultimately lies in our own hands. ‘Self-work’ then, is to align one’s will with one’s seed potential in the most beneficial way. Whether looking for ways to achieve a particular goal (coaching) or to understand the dynamics of inner conflict and finding new ways to deal with it (counseling), astrology can be an invaluable roadmap to help you find your way.

It’s the adventure of a lifetime.