Is ‘coaching’ a shortcut to mental health care? Not so fast − here are key differences

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Emily Hemendinger, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

(THE CONVERSATION) Life coach, wellness coach, business coach, weight loss coach, breakup coach – the list goes on and on. All are different titles for similar jobs, with the same limitation: Anyone can claim to be an expert.

Health “coaching” alone is a US$7.6 billion market in the United States, linked to the wellness and lifestyle medicine industries, as well as social media influencer culture. With ongoing shortages of physicians and mental health workers, many Americans see coaches as a more personalized alternative to traditional physical and mental health care.

Yet the profession is poorly...