Is your Professional Coach actually Professional?

A word of caution from a Ballito based life coach and therapist: Check the credentials of your life coach or therapist before accepting advice…

By Nicolette Meyer

I have recently met random residents in our beautiful town of Ballito who have been talking to me about counselors, therapists and life coaches they have seen who give them some uncomfortable advise or make inappropriate comments.

When I asked about their registration with a professional board, the clients could not answer the question. This leads me to ask, do you know if the professional that you are seeing is registered with any specific board of South Africa? Do you know what their scope of practice is? It’s illegal for a counsellor or therapist to be practicing without proper registration with Health Professions Council of South Africa(HPCSA).

Mental health is not something to be taken lightly so whether you see a coach or a therapist, it’s important to check registration. I perform psychotherapy and life coaching and I am often asked about the differences so I’ll provide some information below to help clients make informed decisions about which route they choose in getting help.

I believe there is a need for both therapy and coaching in our society. In my opinion, when I bring therapy into my coaching sessions, I am able to help the client holistically as opposed to totally separating the two vocations. In saying that however, that stance does not work for everyone and I have to assess the needs of the individual client first.

What makes me effective in either vocation is my ability to empathize, for my client to have understanding on patterns of behaviour, for my work to be specific to the client in a way that it engages and stimulates them in making choices which ultimately lead them to the place that they wish to be.

Good therapy is a balance between theory, empirical  evidence,  creativity, flexibility and the experience of the practitioner.  Add this to the goal of life coaching, and it can be seen how this could be comprehensive and effective.  We have all encountered those who might have a negative stance on mental health practitioners due a bad mental health experience or otherwise but I implore them to choose a different professional then compare experiences. I have worked with clients who sometimes feel that I’m trying to control them by urging them to keep appointments, to this I say: “Therapy can never be effective where control is used a tool.” It is rather about the investment, the buying into the need of what’s best for the client, what they feel is best for them needs to be considered as well. I do push my clients but I also ask them to tell me when they feel that I am pushing too hard. Communication is vital.  A lack of coercion on my part will push a strong client away and keep a weaker client cowering in the corner of my office for many years.

Not all coaches are good coaches, some do more harm than good, just as not all therapists are good therapists. I am certified in both fields but I don’t claim to be the best. I do claim to have a great understanding of my clients and the positive feedback and success stories are enough for me to know that I’m doing something right.  A coach does not tell their client what to do,  does not give their opinion and does not have all the answers.  A good coach meets a new client believing that the client already knows the answer,  that they are the masters of their own life and we are here to help clear up the picture of the choices available to them. It is about empowering the client.

A lot of the time a therapist is dealing with people who have threatening disorders. They either have a chemical imbalance or they have suffered trauma in their lives that has left their lives paralysed.  The best therapists are genuinely concerned about their clients AND understand that there will always be more to understand about the human beings’ body, mind and spirit. The therapist should have a hunger for knowledge about their evolving profession as well as the changes that their client is going through. It’s about passion for psychology. I truly love what I do and there’s not a day that it feels like work to me. I wish everyone could love what they do for a living, love it with passion as that makes all the difference. I hope this article has helped at least one person make an informed decision about the next professional that they might see.

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