What is coaching?

As both a consultant and coach, my prospective clients routinely asked the question, “What are the differences among counselors, consultants, and coaches?” Simply said, the answer depends on the challenge.

Counselors (or therapists) are experts in medical and behavioral sciences who help clients with diagnosable emotional or behavioral conditions work through past traumas toward healing, recovery, and issue resolution.

Consultants are experts who advise their clients on how to solve a current problem. When consulting, I am always focused on results -- producing a certain future outcome or strategy, e.g., repositioning a C-suite executive, media training, crisis communications planning.

Coaches are experts in coaching the journey forward, working with clients who feel a barrier between themselves and a goal. They often feel blocked and need a thinking and accountability partner to break through that barrier to create a new future of their design. We don’t look back; we start with now, guiding them through actions to uncover their own wisdom and solutions, e.g., a career change, building better work/life balance, positioning themselves for career advancement.

So, what do you need now to get to where you want to be?

Millree Williams, Owner, Willekop Consulting and Coaching. I am a communications strategist and consultant who works with small- to medium-sized businesses. I am also a business and life coach, working especially with professionals in the marketing and communications arena. You can find me at www.Willekop.com.