Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya!
TLDR: Brian shares his personal journey from sexual addiction recovery to coaching, explaining when therapy is needed for dysfunction versus when coaching is appropriate for those already functional but seeking excellence. Christian men can identify which approach they need based on their current state.
What?
In my journey years ago, I was dealing with sexual addiction, attending therapy and Celebrate Recovery. I was a wreck – non-functional and not living as my kingdom self. During that recovery period, I joined my first mastermind group where a leader explained that “recovery is looking backward and coaching/mastermind is looking forward.”
Recently in coach training, I gained clarity on distinguishing between therapy and coaching that made everything click. My experience teaching sailing to people with different disabilities also illustrated this distinction – I could coach those with physical disabilities but lacked training for those with certain mental disabilities.
Why?
I’m sharing this because many Christian men struggle to identify whether they need therapy or coaching. Some try to use coaching to fix dysfunction, while others remain stuck in therapy when they’re ready to move forward to excellence. Understanding the difference is crucial for your growth journey.
Lesson
The key distinction is this: When you are dysfunctional, you need therapy to dig into the stories, conditioning, and upbringing that created that dysfunction. Therapy takes you from dysfunction to functional.
When you’re already functional but want to achieve excellence, you need coaching. Coaching takes functional people who are aspiring for awesomeness to the next level of excellence.
Just like I could coach physically disabled sailors because their mental capacity was intact, coaching works best when the foundations of functionality are already present.
Apply
Consider where you are in your life right now. Do you need therapy for something you’re struggling with that’s making you dysfunctional? Or are you functional and need coaching to take you from good to excellent?
Be honest with yourself about which path is appropriate for your current situation. Remember that moving from therapy to coaching is a natural progression as you heal and grow. Everybody needs a coach and a mastermind.
You be blessed.
When You Need Therapy vs. When You Need Coaching Understanding the Difference
