How Does Coaching Compare To Other Disciplines?

Coaching is a non-directive approach, collaborative partnership in which a coach by asking open-ended and insightful questions helps a client to move forward to achieve a goal, to discover what they want instead of having a problem. The focus of coaching is on the solution. Coaching is not appropriate for people with extreme conditions or situations in which the specific problem and not the solution required more emphasis.

Mentoring is a powerful personal development tool. A mentor helps people to progress for example in their careers. It is a partnership between two people normally working in a similar field or sharing similar experiences.

Counselling is the most simple form which involves the process of giving advice or guidance. A counsellor may focus on a specific problem like depression, anxiety or bereavement, or on a decision, crisis or conflict.

In consulting the consultant takes the role of expert, and provides advice, strategies or assistance to the client. A consultant is usually a professional in a specific field and has a wide knowledge of the subject matter.

Similarities with coaching:

Listening skills – listening carefully to what the client is saying, what is the issue, understand the client’s needs, values and beliefs.
Desire to help the client – to be supportive, fully committed to the client, focused on the client’s problem or the goal.
Ability to build rapport with the client with trust and confidentiality – to create an effective work environment, to obtain the best performance and improve the client’s situation.

Differences with coaching:

In mentoring, counselling and consulting we can give advice. A coach will see the coachee as somebody who already has the answers inside, and will ask the right question to get them to come up with solutions on their own.
Mentors, counsellors and consultants can explore the client’s past. In coaching, we are working on helping the client to move from now to the future and not asking about the past.
Consultant and mentor can be experts in the client’s area. In coaching it is not necessary to have the same expertise or knowledge as the client. .
Counselling is based on feelings and emotions and coaching is focused on actions and outcomes

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Dominika Miernik

Dominika Miernik is an award-winning Career and Expat Coach with over 20 years of living and working abroad in countries like Poland, Italy, the UK and France. Over the past 10+ years, she has been helping expat and globally mobile women to create fulfilling careers and businesses around their international lives. She works with individuals and expat support organisations. And is a mentor for expat coaches.
Currently, she is enjoying a laptop lifestyle while travelling across Europe.

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