Soul Matters – May 2024

IF YOU’RE LOOKING to talk with someone about concerns in your life, it can be hard to know what to look for. The options are daunting. Should you find a counselor? Coach? Psychologist? All those letters after the names are like alphabet soup. What do they even mean?

Let’s break this down a bit.

COACH—Coaching helps people go from where they are to where they want to be. It doesn’t delve into the past or explore feelings. It’s action oriented. Like an athletic coach, a good coach will be able to discern what’s hanging you up and will offer guidance on how to shift things. There is no licensing for coaches yet, and the letters/certifications/training vary considerably.

COUNSELOR—Generally speaking, counseling and therapy are interchangeable terms. If you Google it, you will read that counseling tends to be short-term and solution-focused, where therapy tends to be longer and dive deeper, but these distinctions have faded in recent years. Counseling and therapy explore past conditions with the focus on healing and optimizing your current life experience. Counselors (and therapists) usually have a master’s degree (MA, MS) and years of supervised practice.

THERAPIST—Therapists have a master’s degree in psychology and have completed years of supervised work post-degree. (When I was going through school, 3,200 hours were required to sit for exams.) They are licensed by the state. In Oregon you will see the letters LPC (licensed professional counselor) or MFT (marriage and family therapist). Some specialize in couples work, some in family work, and most all see individuals.

PSYCHOLOGIST—Psychologists have a Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) in Psychology, so they’ve had a lot of schooling. They may work with more serious mental health conditions (but not necessarily) and sometimes perform mental health assessments and testing but cannot prescribe medication (in most states). They like to be called “Doctor.” I can’t blame them.

PSYCHIATRIST—These folks have gone through medical school (MD) and specialize in diagnosing and treating more serious mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Most notably, they prescribe medication. These days, most psychiatrists do not provide counseling or therapy, but might work with a team of other providers.

As with all professions, titles and education alone do not a great practitioner make. Life experience, professional experience, areas of specialization and skill levels vary widely amongst all these folks. It’s good to interview and see how you feel when you talk with them. It is important that you are comfortable and most especially, that you get the support you need.

KATE INGRAM, MA, CSBC, is an award-winning author, counselor, and coach (two-fer!) specializing in holistic, transformational help for major life transitions. She’s had a lot of schooling, both inside and out of academia. Find out more at kintsugicoaching.com.