How to Decide Whether You Need a Coach or a Therapist
If you’re feeling anxious about speaking up, expressing yourself, or taking up more space in your life or work, you might be wondering:
Should I work with a coach or a therapist?
It’s a great question – and an important one. Both coaches and therapists offer meaningful support. But they serve different purposes. The right choice depends on what you're struggling with and what kind of change you’re ready for.
Here’s what you need to know about the difference between therapy and coaching.
Seek therapy to heal the past
Therapists are licensed mental health professionals trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Therapy often focuses on understanding the why – why you feel what you feel, why certain patterns repeat, and how past experiences are influencing you now.
You might want to work with a therapist if you’re:
Managing clinical depression, anxiety, PTSD, or another diagnosed condition
Working through trauma or ongoing emotional pain
Struggling to function day-to-day because of emotional overwhelm
A therapist provides essential support to help you stabilize, process pain, and make sense of your experience. Therapy is often about healing, understanding, and building emotional capacity in the face of mental health challenges.
Choose coaching to move forward with clarity and confidence
Coaching is future-focused. It’s about identifying what matters most to you and helping you take action, even when fear or overthinking get in the way.
Whether you're working with a communication coach, health coach, or life coach, the goal is the same: to help you move forward with intention. We don’t stay stuck in “why did this happen to me?” – we focus on “what can I do next?”
As a coach, I support people who:
spend hours replaying conversations and worrying if they said the wrong thing.
get quiet in meetings even when they have something useful to contribute.
struggle to speak clearly under pressure, especially when they feel put on the spot.
avoid opportunities because they’re afraid of being judged or not sounding “perfect.”
Some people think they need to unpack their history in therapy before they can move forward, but that’s not always true. In fact, it can sometimes keep you stuck, searching for answers that don’t exist.
Often, what actually creates change isn’t more analysis – it’s deciding to take action. That’s where coaching comes in.
A good coach helps you move forward by offering tools, frameworks, and powerful questions that shift you out of self-doubt and into practice – new ways of thinking, communicating, and showing up.
For example, my coaching helps you:
notice and shift unhelpful thought patterns.
build emotional resilience and confidence.
learn practical tools to communicate more clearly in real-world situations – whether it’s a conversation with your manager, a presentation, or simply sharing your ideas in a group.
So…coach or therapist? How to choose
There can be some overlap between coaching and therapy. For example, some coaches, including myself, use evidence-based tools – including strategies from CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) – to help you work with your thoughts, manage anxiety, and take values-aligned action.
Here are a few questions to help you decide between a therapist or coach:
Am I struggling with clinical anxiety, depression, or trauma that affects my ability to function?
→ Start with a therapist.
Am I generally doing okay, but I hold myself back in certain situations – especially when it comes to speaking up or being seen?
→ Coaching may be the right next step.
Do I want to explore my past and process emotions I haven’t fully dealt with?
→ Therapy can help you do that in a safe, supported way.
Am I ready to take action, try new strategies, and build more confidence in how I communicate?
→ Coaching is designed for that.
Can I work with both a coach and a therapist
Yes. Many people benefit from both – sometimes at the same time, sometimes at different stages.
Therapy helps you heal and gain insight on your past.
Coaching helps you get clarity on your goals and take action.
I’ll add that in addition to taking action, coaching helps you become more aware of your current habits, thoughts, and beliefs shaping your life, so you can choose what to carry forward and what to leave behind.
In my coaching practice, this is exactly the kind of work we do. I help clients notice what’s no longer serving them – the self-doubt, the overthinking, the pressure to get everything “right” – and build new ways of showing up that feel calmer, clearer, and more true to who they are.
About my coaching
I’m Sarah Mikutel, a communication and mindset coach for introverts who want to express themselves with more confidence – in a way that feels natural, not forced.
Here are some common issues clients come to me with:
feeling anxious about being the center of attention
worrying they’ll freeze up, ramble, or say the wrong thing
wanting to have more honest conversations with friends and family – but conflict avoidance is getting in the way
spending too much time over-preparing, second-guessing, or avoiding opportunities
wanting to feel calm and capable in high-pressure conversations
If you recognize yourself in any of these patterns, we can change that.
We’ll look at the thoughts, habits, and patterns holding you back, and use practical tools like speaking frameworks and calming strategies, along with mindset work and steady support, to help you speak clearly, lead calmly, and show up in a way that feels true to you.
Take the next step
If you’re ready to:
Speak with more clarity and ease
Stop overthinking and start showing up
Take action toward the life and career you want
…I invite you to apply for coaching.
We’ll talk about what’s been getting in your way and whether my coaching is the right fit to help you move forward.
👉 Click here to apply – and let’s begin.
Communicate with less anxiety and more influence
My work is about helping you share your voice and strengthen your relationships through better communication. Together, we’ll interrupt patterns like perfectionism, fear of judgment, and people-pleasing so you can create lasting change – and feel more at ease in every speaking situation.
I’m an American expat living in the U.K., and I value curiosity, courage, and joy. A few things I love: wandering European streets in search of the best vegetarian meal, practicing Italian, and helping my clients design a life that feels rich and meaningful.
If you're ready to have conversations that open doors – in your career, your relationships, and your life – let’s talk.