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Questions People Ask

Therapy or Life Coaching: Which One Do I Need?

Therapy and coaching can both help you change your life, but they are not the same thing. A few honest questions can point you to the right one.

Questions People Ask

Start With How You Are Doing

If anxiety, low mood, grief, trauma, intense emotions or relationship patterns are making daily life hard, therapy is the better starting point. Therapy is mental health care from a licensed professional, and it is designed for exactly those things.

If you feel basically steady and want structure, guidance and accountability to refocus your life, coaching may fit.

Some People Prefer Coaching

Crystal Boyd has noticed that sometimes seeing a therapist can make people feel like something is wrong with them, when what they want is a little guidance. That is a real reason to choose coaching, as long as what you are carrying does not need clinical care.

Quick Comparison

Therapy: licensed mental health care, begins with an intake, offered to people in Arizona or Oregon
Coaching: Life Improvement, one-on-one, 6 to 12 sessions, for adults and teens
Both: begin with a free consultation

An Important Line

Coaching is not therapy and is not a substitute for mental health care. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you are not sure which you need, the free consultation is the place to talk it through, and Crystal will point you toward the one that fits.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Am I mostly looking for relief from something painful, or for direction?
Is what I am feeling getting in the way of sleep, work or relationships?
Have I been through something recently that still feels raw?
Do I want someone to help me plan and follow through on a change?

How Each One Starts

Therapy begins with an intake, $250 for individuals and $300 for couples or families, and continues at $200 or $250 per session. Coaching runs across 6 to 12 sessions, and you can ask about coaching rates during the consultation. Both begin with a free consultation of about 15 minutes, and that conversation is where you and Crystal can decide which path fits.

The Line Stays Clear

Coaching is not therapy and is not a substitute for mental health care. If you start with coaching and it becomes clear you need clinical care, that will be named plainly so you can get the right kind of help.