Zeen Connect

Life coaching: when it is the right choice and when it is not

When is coaching the right choice and when do you need a psychotherapist? How the meeting goes, what is NLP and how to choose a coach who takes his work.

Coaching and psychotherapy look similar from the outside — two people sitting down and talking about life. The difference is in the starting point. Coaching assumes that you are basically fine and that you want to get somewhere: change profession, take over leadership, arrange the balance between work and private life. Psychotherapy deals with distress that interferes with daily functioning. It's not innocent to confuse one with the other, so it's worth understanding the line before subscribing to anyone. Life coaching is focused on goals and the future, not on dealing with mental distress. On Zeen Connect you can find coaches, their fields and the way they work. Focused on concrete goals and steps, not addressing adversity. Meetings live or via video link. You can compare coaches by field, education and approach. How the meeting is going. The first meeting is usually about clarifying: what you want to achieve, what you've already tried, what's stopping you and what it will look like when you succeed. A good coach asks more than he talks. He won't tell you what to do — his job is to ask questions you don't ask yourself and to help you break your goal down into steps small enough to actually take them. At the end of the meeting, you usually leave with one or two concrete tasks until the next time. Meetings last 45 to 60 minutes and take place every two to four weeks; the entire process often involves six to twelve meetings. It's the in-between time where most of the work happens — coaching without action between meetings remains a pleasant conversation with no effect. Many coaches offer an initial free conversation, which is a great way to gauge whether you're hitting it off. Where is the line between coaching and therapy?. This is the most important section. Coaching is suitable when you are fundamentally functioning and want to change: career, habits, attitude to work, clarity in decisions, better team management. Not suitable for depression, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, addiction, suicidal thoughts or bereavement. These are not goals to be achieved, but hardships that require professional treatment by a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist. A serious coach knows this difference and will suggest a referral if there are signs of distress — this is not a loss of the client, but a sign of professionalism. The opposite is true for someone who claims that coaching solves everything, or who advises against seeing a specialist. It is not uncommon for someone to go to coaching and psychotherapy at the same time; it makes perfect sense, just let both of you know about each other. What is a UFO and what you should know about it. NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, is a set of techniques developed in the 1970s that deal with language, ideas, and patterns of behavior. It comes up a lot in coaching, and some people do well with its tools — especially the parts about setting clearer goals and recognizing your own speech patterns. At the same time, it is fair to say that the core claims of UFOs are not scientifically proven; research did not support the initial assumptions about the so-called perceptual systems and the connection between eye movements and thinking. This does not mean that all techniques are useless, but it does mean that NLP certification in itself is not a guarantee of quality, and caution is in order for those who attribute its near-miraculous effects. Judge the coach by how he works, not by what acronyms he uses. How to choose a coach. Coaching in Slovenia is not a regulated activity, which means that anyone can call themselves that. So check three. First, education: there are internationally recognized associations with certified programs and serious coaches list them. Another area: someone works with career, another with management, another with balance and habits — generality is often a sign of vagueness. Third, the relationship to boundaries: ask directly what to do if mental distress appears during the process. The answer that includes referral to a specialist is correct. Take advantage of the introductory conversation, because the match between you is more important than the methodology. Be wary of long packages that require upfront payment and promises of guaranteed results. On Zeen Connect, profiles show fields, education and performance method.

Informational content from the Zeen Connect editorial team; not a substitute for medical advice.

Last updated: 5 August 2026