The Potential Perils of Personal Issues in Coaching The Continuing Debate: Therapy or Coaching? What Every Coach Must Know!

P Williams International Journal of Coaching in Organizations 2004

Within the forest of success stories of both life and business coaching, there continues to be a shadowy debate that struggles with the question: is it coaching, or is it therapy? While sharing some commonalities, the differences between_ therapy and coaching are vast and can be solidly delineated. This article seeks to clearly define the differences, but also raises some issues which every coach should consider. There are pitfalls for the coach who does not know and observe the boundary lines between these two disciplines, and wanders unknowing into a potentially perilous territory of psychotherapy.