Mixed-methods analysis demonstrates key boundary distinctions between coaching and therapy, indicating that client functioning and triadic contracting define core professional differences.
Coaching is widely employed in organisations, which has led to a debate about the differences between coaching and therapy. This study used quantitative, qualitative and conceptual analyses to examine this. The qualitative data suggested that coaches have a clear idea of the differences between modalities. Qualitative data indicated that coaching is seen as having six features: performance versus emotional outcomes, future versus past focus, emphasis on action-based experimentation, the work context, higher client functioning and triadic contracting relationships. However, conceptual analysis suggested that client functioning level, the organisation's input into coaching outcomes, triadic stakeholder relationships and confidentiality are the most important distinctions.
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McCormick et al. (2026) studied this question.
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