Coaching and Therapy – the combination recognizes how our brain works.
Blending coaching and therapy is powerful because it addresses both the practical and emotional aspects of leadership. It follows the latest findings of neuroscience on how our brain works and where patterns are stored and can be addressed and changed.
Coaching helps you develop new skills, set goals, and tackle challenges in your professional life, while therapy works on the deeper patterns that may be holding you back. Using approaches like NARM, which focuses only on the present moment and how experiences shape this present behavior. We can address those patterns in a way that supports self-regulation and growth. By working with both mind and body, this integrated approach creates lasting change—beyond quick fixes.
And by-the-way working with a therapist does not mean you are “ill”, but it means you recognize that you are nothing but human. In any human there are all kinds of traits stored that coaching or cognition cannot/hardly access and change.
Here is an example how both coaching and therapy can work together really well:
Let’s take the example of an executive, John, a successful CEO dealing with chronic burnout and self-doubt. He’s constantly stressed, feels overwhelmed by his responsibilities, and questions whether he’s truly capable of leading at the level his position demands. Despite his achievements, he struggles with imposter syndrome and can’t shake the feeling that he’s not good enough.
Coaching Perspective:
A coach might ask:
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“What specific goals do you want to achieve in your role as a leader?”
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“What strategies can we develop to manage your workload more effectively?”
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“How can you better delegate responsibilities to reduce stress?”
These questions help John build better time management, delegation, and coping strategies. Coaching focuses on actionable solutions and professional growth, guiding him to achieve specific outcomes in his role.
A therapist might ask:
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“When did you first start feeling like you weren’t good enough?”
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“How does this self-doubt connect to earlier life experiences?”
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“How does your body react when you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities?”
These questions dig deeper into John’s personal history, potentially uncovering patterns of perfectionism or childhood experiences that have shaped his sense of self-worth. Therapy helps John explore the root causes of his burnout and imposter syndrome, addressing emotional patterns that fuel his stress.
Why the Combination Works:
Coaching alone can offer John strategies for professional success, but without addressing the deeper emotional patterns, he may continue to burn out or feel inadequate no matter how much he achieves. On the other hand, therapy by itself may help John understand his past and emotional struggles, but without practical tools to implement in his day-to-day work, he might not make tangible progress in his leadership role.
By blending coaching and therapy, John can work on both external strategies (like time management and leadership skills) and internal healing (resolving self-doubt and stress patterns). This combination provides sustainable growth because it integrates professional development with emotional resilience, ensuring that John not only improves as a leader but also heals the deeper issues driving his burnout.