Internal coach and mental health

Drawing a line between what falls within the scope of coaching and what falls within the territory of therapy can be challenging, and several books, chapters and papers related to the topic (Aboujaoude, 2020; Bachkirova & Baker, 2019; Giraldez-Hayes, 2021; O'Connor & O'Donovan, 2021, among others) have addressed this topic. When attempting to explain the differences between coaching and therapy, it is often said that “coaching deals with nonclinical populations, whereas therapy is designed to address the needs of people suffering from diagnosable clinical disorders such as depression and anxiety” (Cavanagh, 2005, p. 21). Although this seems to be a clear distinction, the decisions coaches must make in their practice are not always straightforward and require knowledge, a reasonable degree of reflection and a consciousness of ethical principles. Two crucial questions every coach should ask themselves are “Do I have the skills and knowledge to hold the client's presenting issue?” and, if that is the case, “How do I discuss the way forward with the client and, if necessary, recontract our engagement?”