Excerpt from Caring From a Distance:

Technology, Coaching and Life Management

(A feature article in Christian Counseling Today magazine, Vol, 8, No. 1, 2000

(pp 20 – 22) by Christopher McCluskey, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and Certified Life Coach.

“When an individual hires a coach, the relationship that develops will be quite different from a therapeutic one. In fact, it is critical that the coach draws a clear distinction between the service they are providing and psychotherapy. The coach becomes a collaborative partner rather than a hired expert. There is no quality of “doctor-to-patient” in their interactions. Instead, the two are embarking on a journey together to understand more fully the Lord’s purpose for that person’s life and to see that fulfilled. The coach will seek to help the person draw out and hone his or her unique gifts, talents and calling in pursuit of the abundant life Christ purchased for us.

Psychotherapy can generally be said to be about the past and present. The purpose of the work is to address past traumas, painful relationships, unconscious motivations, faulty beliefs, psychiatric illness, and to help a person move from a place of crisis to a more acceptable level of daily functioning. Simply put, therapy is about healing. A client in need of healing is not yet ready for coaching and should be referred to a therapist. Recalling Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, there are more basic issues to be addressed before the person can effectively pursue greater fulfillment.

Coaching, on the other hand, is about the present and especially about the future. Starting from a place of stable functioning, the coach will help clients clarify and attain the vision they have for their lives. Coaching is about envisioning, creating and growing.

Coaching is also different from discipleship in that it is less instructional and more relational. The coach does relatively little teaching and much more questioning and challenging, helping the client take greater ownership of his or her unique gifting and life calling.”

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