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Counseling vs Coaching

Coaching vs Counseling - Arc Integrated

Coaching vs Counseling

There are many different resources regarding what the difference and similarities are when looking at counseling vs coaching.  I see them as definitely more connected than separate.  However, when considering which one to move towards I think this is an even easier question.  When looking for a therapist the issue is often related to a pain or a function that needs to be addressed.  When looking for a coach someone may be more interested in developing something new, improving something already in place or advancing in career, health, finance, leadership or relationally.   When looking for more resources about coaching, a great resource is The International Coaching Federation.  For access to more information about therapy, visit Good Therapy.  However, if you are trying to decide what service to go with, counseling or coaching, then see this article on How to Choose a Therapist or Other Helping Professional.

If you decide that coaching is the route to take, then great! Remember there are lots of options within coaching, just like within therapy.  Some types of coaching may include –

Personal Development Coaching –

This may consist of working with individuals to make shifts in their lives that they feel will help them move towards the direction they want.   Personal development coaching can be related to work, relationships, finance or wellness.   This type of coaching may involve exploring strengths and challenge areas in order to build on individual passions, successes and experiences.

Executive Coaching –

Executive coaches may work with leaders within an organization around business strategy or how to most effectively work with employees. Alternatively, executive coaches may also help to offer insight into how the personal dynamic of the individual impacts their business.

Career Coaching –

Just as it sounds, insight around what kind of career to start, move from, end or change.  This can often be a component of other types of coaching or a specialty.

Similar to therapy, coaching involves setting goals and pursuing specific outcomes.  However, unlike therapy, coaching involves forward facing strategy and is not focused on resolving emotional functioning or processing pain for example.

So how does one decide what qualifies a coach within any of the previous categories, or even other coaching categories?    Just like within many of the disciplines of the mental health field, coaching has and is evolving.  At this point, anyone can still call themselves a “coach.”  This is different from stating “Licensed Counselor, Psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist or Licensed Social Worker”, where in fact there is a mandatory license to be able to use this language.  Since coaching is relatively new it is only governed by certification.  So while you don’t need a certificate or license to call yourself a coach, you can obtain a certificate in a wide variety of coaching disciplines.  So does this make it less credible?  I don’t think so, necessarily.  While it is not governed with the level of scrutiny as the other mental health professions, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t highly skilled professionals in the coaching field that bring a great wealth of knowledge and experience.  Ultimately I think it comes back to the question of – Do I identify with, trust and feel like I can gain valuable insight from this person?

In my opinion both coaching and counseling are greatly valuable. I think that the approaches you are looking for as well as what you are trying to change are equally important questions to ask if you are considering signing up for therapy or coaching.  Here are some other questions to ask yourself (or the helping professional) when considering which direction to take –

How action oriented do I want this process to be?

How much time do I want to spend processing what is happening or what happened?

Am I in the process of or still struggling with some kind of traumatic experience?

Is this change that I am after more goal oriented or process oriented?

Am I wanting to gain insight into this issue or am I just interested in changing circumstances?

Good luck on the journey and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.

Best,

Michael

P.S. If you are curious to learn more about personal development, effective workplace culture, dynamic leadership  and a wide variety of other topics, sign up today! www.arcintegrated.com/book.  It’s totally free.

You’ll also receive Chapter One (for FREE) from the upcoming book – CHANGES.  This book explores seven themes of sustainable change so that you can finally achieve the professional and personal goals you have been striving for but keep missing. 

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Behavioral Health Jobs

 

Behavioral Health Jobs

There are many disciplines within behavioral health. To see more information about the different disciplines or about how to choose a therapist, see THIS BLOG POST.  For this post though, I want to talk about all the different areas that are possible to work when searching for behavioral health jobs.

Over the last few years I have spoke a number of times to different graduate classes or schools regarding the varying types of jobs one can get with a graduate degree in a helping profession.  When I was in graduate school I definitely would have been interested in hearing what kinds of options are out there, and it seems graduates students I come across have this same curiosity.   Although there are many pros and cons working in the behavioral health arena (for a good summary click HERE), understanding the options that exist may be helpful in making a decision.  Here is a short list and explanation of career options for those with a graduate degree in the behavioral health field (this list is not conclusive).

Behavioral Health Jobs

Community Mental Health

This area is typical for recent graduate school graduates who are looking for mental health jobs or social work jobs.  In my experience the kind of mental health job you will have working in a community mental health center is always advantageous for improving clinical skills and building awareness of multiple populations.   For more information about working in community mental health, click HERE.

Corrections

Working in corrections is often times an available opportunity in many communities because of the demand.   For an example of duties that may occur for a mental health job in corrections, click HERE.  The level of intensity in the environment of working within corrections may be high, due to the stress level.   However there are many important, valuable clinical skills that could be gained through working in an environment like a correctional facility.

Crisis Interventionist

Typically this kind of work is done within a couple different contexts, like an EAP or a community mental health agency.  Doing crisis work is specific and unique.  This is also a great experience builder that will expose a new mental health graduate to potentially many situations and populations.  The work is challenging and usually fast paced.  The role may vary depending on the context but usually involves helping individuals or organizations debrief from a crisis and find resources and supports necessary.   To learn more about being a crisis intervention worker click HERE.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

This career in mental health is also unique because it can involve a combination of clinical skills as well as business skills.  EAPs are benefits offered to employees that are either a component of a medical plan or an additional employee benefit outside of the medical plan.  The EAP allows for employees with this benefit to seek counseling services free of charge, within certain criteria.  The EAP professional can have many responsibilities including clinical consultation/assessment/triage, organizational training, crisis intervention or account management.   For more information about Employee Assistance Program work, click HERE.

Hospital

Working in a hospital within the field of mental health could mean a number of roles.  There are social workers, case managers, therapists and even mental health nurses.   To learn more about mental health nursing click HERE.  Working in a hospital setting may become more of a popular setting for mental health workers as healthcare in general continues to shift to an integrated care model.   To learn more about how integrated care may impact mental health jobs in the coming years, click HERE.

Private Practice/Group Practice

There are many advantages and rewards when working in private practice.  To see my experience of starting a private practice, see THIS ARTICLE.   The world of private practice can offer lots of independence and flexibility.  However, some people find private practice to be too isolating, which is why group practices can be beneficial. Group practices offer the same flexibility and independence as a singular private practice but with some additional support.  Having a group practice may offer more contact for staffing, triage and supervision.  Settings in a group or private practice may also lead themselves to being in a more casual environment.

Substance Abuse Professional

Working within the substance abuse area of behavioral health is somewhat unique. Unlike other kinds of counseling work, working in substance abuse does not require a master’s degree.  However, since it is an area that therapists often focus in, I wanted to include it.  Substance abuse work can exist in a wide variety of settings including, but not limited to, treatment centers, community mental health clinics, detox centers and in private or group practices.  HERE is an interesting chart looking at varying credentials one can pursue within the addictions field, with and without an advanced degree.

VA Counselor

This has become a more popular setting recently as there have been more opportunities opened up for not only social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists, but counselors as well.  For more information about opportunities for counselors working the VA, click HERE.  Behavioral health specialists working in the VA may be working with issues like PTSD, trauma and family dynamic issues.  There may be additional benefits in working for the VA due to there being federal employee benefits packages.

I hope this short list gives some sense of all the varied opportunity that exists within the mental health job arena.  Ultimately, like finding the right kind of therapist, the right kind of job within the mental field has to do with the best fit.   My experience through working in a few different kinds of mental health jobs has helped me learn where my strengths and weaknesses are.  I have also learned what kinds of clients I work best with, as well as which client’s may be suited for another therapist or service.  Through this awareness I hope to ultimately have a better impact on those I work with, which I am thankful for.

Best,

Michael

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Planning a Workshop – An Introduction

 

how to plan a workshopPath to Synergy will be presenting a workshop this spring. The workshop is titled – “Are Our Brains Holding Us Back? Understanding and Managing Unconscious Bias.” This workshop will be held in Asheville, NC on March 13th, 2015. For more information, or to register, CLICK HERE.
When forming our initial idea around how to create this particular workshop, we went through a couple of drafts and approaches. We learned a number of things from this process which I would like to share. Here are five basic considerations for building and planning a workshop.

1.) Getting specific about a training topic

In my experience with both attending trainings as well as providing them, there always seems to be less time than content. This is relevant when determining a topic because being very specific will not only help to flesh out the idea but this may also help in pairing down the time.

2.) Do some research

Seeing what other kinds of similar workshops are out there can be great way to decide how to make a training stand out. In addition, if it seems the training topic is overly saturated and there are limited areas to expand, then perhaps another topic or variation would be better.

3.) Outline the time, day or number of days

Filling out the main objectives down to the hour can be a great way to start seeing the training take shape. Consider some blocks being 30 minutes while others may go to an hour or 1.5 hours. In addition, if the training is more than one day, fill in the larger time frames for all days. Be sure to include breaks and lunch time.

4.) Fill in the times specifically, down to 15 minute intervals

Being specific about how things may flow with every 15 minutes will help to reduce the chance for either over planning or not having enough material to fill the expected time frame. When building in breaks, be sure to space them out appropriately so that attendees have time to get engaged with the activity or session but also don’t get too restless.

5.) Be prepared for things to not go as planned, i.e.; be prepared to improvise

Rehearsing the training is a must! Depending on how much opportunity you offer for questions, this could drastically change the flow of your design. In addition, questions may inadvertently come up, so be prepared to be flexible. For longer activities or presentations it may be helpful to have a second plan for how to cover the material. Also, consider prioritizing what material is most important, in case time runs out.

As a consultant, counselor, educator or therapist, hosting a workshop can be a great way to connect with the community and share expertise on a number of topics. Remember, finding an idea that is within the field is of course relevant, but finding an idea that you are really passionate about may make the difference in the overall success of the workshop. If you can find something that you can speak about intelligently and also feel energized by, this will not only make the experience more fun to create and facilitate, but also more impactful on your audience.

Best!

Michael

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Mind and Body Connection: Healthy Body Healthy Mind

 

Body Mind Connection Healthy Body Healthy Mind

When I was in graduate school one of the concentrations I had was called Body Centered Therapy.  This program is described as “a program designed to prepare students with an understanding of creative and expressive processes within the context of the mind and body connection”.   I look back on my experience in graduate school fondly and continue to learn more and more about this idea of body and mind connectivity.  This is a large topic with lots of debate and areas of discussion.  I am writing this article as a short introduction to this idea, with some examples of how body and mind are connected.

In my professional experience there certainly seems to be a connection between an individual’s physical experience and emotional well-being.  For example, the article HERE points to the fact that there may be a physical component related to the onset of depression, but this generally speaking is not a new finding.  Research has been connecting physical experience with mental health issues for many years. For example, this article by the National Institute of Mental Health reviews some of the conclusions related to diabetes and depression.  A great map of physical experiences brought on by depression can be found HERE.  There are often connectivity examples between depression or anxiety and physical symptoms resulting from them.  We commonly understand that anxiety and depression can bring on physical symptoms of stomach ache, sweating, headache or a number of other symptoms.

It seems that the more we understand about connectivity between experience, thought, behavior and emotion, the more we may gravitate towards a mind and body connection paradigm.  Popular culture tends to separate body and mind, but many believe this is shifting.  Depression is a condition that impacts how we feel, think and act (all involving the mind).  However, emotions like sadness or worthlessness, found in depression, can bring on real physical symptoms such as pain or nausea.  In this way, depression is present in both the body and mind.  For another example of mind and body connectivity, consider this article on chronic illness and depression.

There have been many theories posed as to the cause of depression, anxiety, panic disorder and other mental health challenges.  However, regardless of the cause, it seems that an overwhelming number of people respond well to lifestyle change.  In my personal and professional experience, I see that people often respond well to lifestyle changes such as increased exercise and improved nutrition. I think that this strengthens the argument even more that there is a definite connection between body and mind.

So what does one do with all of this information about the body and mind connection?  It seems that one way to actively incorporate the belief that there is truly a cross over between our body and mind is to do just that: change our belief.  One way of changing our belief is to change how we respond.  When we are faced with different experiences we may begin to ask how is this impacting both body and mind.

The mind and body connection is certainly not just seen in mental health issues like depression or anxiety.  We see examples of body/mind connection in our everyday lives, if we know where to look.  The next time you are faced with a really challenging decision, consider how your body responds.  Often times our body can give us clues about decisions to make or hunches about directions to take, we just have to learn to listen.  Being more aware of our whole experience in any given situation will bring on more understanding, and more of an integration of body and mind.

Stay Healthy,

Michael

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Counseling Skills in Business

When considering how a field like counseling or psychology may be relevant in business, one thing that comes to mind is the idea of change.  In the fast pace environment that most companies exist in, change is one constant that we can count on.  Whether this means a merger, a management shift, an organizational restructuring or simply a new hire, the business’s challenge is how to adjust to these shifts regularly.  Those in a supervisory role are tasked with how they can improve management skills to impact employee performance.  The following is an example of a management skill that supervisors can utilize to impact change.

An orientation in counseling that also works as a people management skill, is an approach called Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is defined as “A collaborative conversation to strengthen a person’s own motivation for and commitment to change”.  This approach focuses on ambivalence towards change and works with an individual to increase motivation for change.  When discussing the ambivalence towards a change, one strategy to consider within MI, is called “OARS” (Open Ended Questions, Affirmation, Reflections and Summary).  The communication style of “OARS” is only a small part of MI.  However, when working with employees, managers and executives, “OARS” can be utilized to help understand why/how a change is taking place and what obstacles stand in the way.  The idea behind “OARS” is that the person using this strategy is asking open ending questions, affirming what the other has to say, reflecting on their statements and summarizing what they are saying in order to build clarity.

For example, a manager is trying to decide the most effective way to approach an employee and address performance issues.  The communication style of “OARS” utilized in MI may be particularly helpful when looking at what kinds of changes this employee needs to make in order to get the expected results.  A challenge many managers face is how to elicit a change without making the employee resentful or offended.  If a manager is particularly savvy, they will understand the value of inspiring an employee to make a change, rather than coercing. MI can help make the process of inspiring change more effective, through reducing an employee’s ambivalence and address the advantages of making this change.  MI has been effective in helping people address a change they are uncertain of, as well as address how to go about making it.  For more information on MI, please see- www.motivationalinterviewing.org

Thank you!

Michael

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