The International Coach Federation’s (ICF) definition of a coach is a professional who supports, empowers and challenges individuals to help them realize their personal and professional goals. The coaching relationship is a partnership relying on a high level of trust and connection between coach and client. The coach helps the client clarify their own agenda and supports them in creating and following through on a strategy to achieve their goals. 
 

COACHING VS. CONSULTING VS. COUNSELING 
 
COACHING  
What is Life Coaching? The International Coach Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Coaching is about empowering people to come up with their own answers. Someone comes to a life coach to achieve a goal or to change, enhance or improve some area of their life. Coaching takes the client from where they are to where they want to be.Coaching Is results-oriented and focuses on making changes in the present. The client develops a plan of action to move forward, and the coach holds the client accountable to follow through with that plan of action. During the process, common blocks and obstacles are addressed using techniques that are legally correct to do without a counseling license.  
 

CONSULTING
What is Consulting? Consulting is about advising, giving suggestions or information to your client. Unlike coaching, the consultant tells the client what to do, rather than guiding them to find their own answers. It’s okay to offer suggestions occasionally, after the client has answered their own question and only if you have an idea that will add to theirs.  
 

COUNSELING
What is Counseling? Counseling, or psychotherapy, is about healing deep emotional issues, usually arising from the past. Perhaps someone has been abused or experienced trauma. Perhaps someone keeps talking about their family and how their family holds them back.  
 Some people have mental illness to the extent that it affects their functioning in day-to-day life. Some of these mental illnesses are depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline and personality disorder. These are situations in which you need to refer the client to a psychotherapist. Also, if someone is not moving forward with coaching, it often means there is a psychotherapeutic issue involved.