The Risks of Therapists Coaching Without Certification
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.
Hey, therapist friends! Coaching sounds exciting and empowering, right? You think, I’m a licensed therapist—of course I can coach! But here’s the truth: there are differences between life coaching and therapy. Stepping into coaching without proper certification isn’t just bending the rules; it’s playing with fire. And trust me, that fire can burn your career, reputation, and even your clients.
In the latest episode of my podcast, Love, Happiness, and Success for Therapists, I tackled this issue head-on. It’s a topic close to my heart because I’ve seen firsthand how therapists, often with the best intentions, can find themselves in tricky—and avoidable—situations.
Let’s unpack this together.
Why Therapists Are Jumping into Coaching
Let’s face it: coaching has a certain allure. It’s forward-focused, goal-oriented, and often less tied up in the heavy emotions and mental health diagnoses that come with therapy. Plus, clients are looking for coaches more than ever. A quick glance at Google Trends will show you that searches for “life coach” or “career coach” are on the rise, while therapy still carries some stigma in certain circles.
For therapists, coaching can feel like a natural progression. It lets you expand your services, reach new clients, and help people in a different way. Who wouldn’t want that? Coaching also promises flexibility. Unlike therapy, which is often restricted by state licensing regulations, coaching can cross borders—literally and figuratively.
But here’s the catch: coaching isn’t just “therapy lite.” It’s an entirely different skill set. The purpose, structure, and tools used in coaching differ significantly from therapy. And if you don’t understand those distinctions, you’re not just risking your clients’ success—you’re risking your own professional reputation. Here’s what you need to know about coaching as a therapist.
The Big Risks of Coaching Without Certification
So, what’s the harm in casually adding “coach” to your title? Quite a lot, actually. Here are the three biggest risks you need to be aware of:
1. Legal and Licensing Nightmares
Imagine you’re working with a coaching client who lives in a state where you’re not licensed as a therapist. If that client decides to file a grievance, claiming you were practicing therapy without a license, you could find yourself in hot water. Without proper certification, you may struggle to prove that your work was strictly coaching—and not therapy in disguise.
State licensing boards don’t play around. They’ll want to see clear evidence that you’re following coaching practices, not therapeutic ones. That means having the right paperwork, marketing materials, and client agreements that explicitly define your role as a coach.
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2. Poor Client Outcomes
Coaching clients come to you with a very different mindset than therapy clients. They’re not here to process trauma or work through a diagnosis. They want actionable steps, clear goals, and measurable progress. If you approach coaching the same way you approach therapy, you risk leaving your clients frustrated and disappointed.
Worse, they might walk away thinking, coaching doesn’t work, when in reality, they just weren’t working with a trained coach.
3. Ethical Violations
Coaching has its own code of ethics and best practices, and these differ from therapy ethical guidelines. For example, dual-role conflicts can be more common in coaching, especially if you’re working with former therapy clients. Without understanding the ethical guidelines of coaching, you could unintentionally cross boundaries, create confusion, or even harm your clients.
My Journey: Why I Chose to Get Certified
When I first considered incorporating coaching into my practice, I thought, I’ve got this—I’m already a therapist. But it didn’t take long to realize that coaching wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. The more I learned, the more I understood that to truly serve my clients—and protect my practice—I needed formal training.
That’s why I became a Board Certified Coach (BCC) through the Center for Credentialing and Education over a decade ago. This certification is specifically designed for licensed mental health professionals, building on the skills you already have while teaching you the nuances of coaching.
Here’s what certification did for me:
Clarity: I learned how to clearly differentiate between therapy and coaching. I now know when a client needs one versus the other—and how to set boundaries accordingly.
Credibility: My BCC credential signals to clients, colleagues, and licensing boards that I’m qualified to coach. It gives me peace of mind and reassures clients that they’re in good hands.
Confidence: With the right training, I’m able to provide evidence-based coaching that truly helps my clients achieve their goals.
The Difference Between Therapy and Coaching
Think of therapy and coaching as two different vehicles. Therapy is like driving a car—it’s designed to help people navigate the road of life, often addressing past issues, mental health concerns, and emotional healing. Coaching, on the other hand, is like flying a plane. It’s all about forward momentum, helping clients reach their destination faster and more efficiently.
Without the proper training, trying to coach with a therapy mindset is like attempting to fly a plane with only a driver’s license. Sure, you know how to steer, but do you really understand the controls? The differences might seem subtle, but they’re critical to providing the kind of results your clients are looking for.
How to Get Certified
If you’re serious about coaching, certification isn’t just a box to check—it’s a vital step to ensuring you’re offering the best possible service to your clients. Here are two highly respected certification paths to consider:
– Center For Coaching and Credentialling: Tailored for therapists, this certification builds on your existing expertise and provides the specific tools you need to excel as a coach. Most therapists choose the BCC (Board Certified Coach) credential because it’s in alignment with the standards of our profession. Here’s why:
The BCC Credential: The Ethical Choice for Licensed Therapists
For licensed therapists looking to expand their practice into coaching, the credential you choose matters significantly. The Board-Certified Coach (BCC) credential stands out as the ethical choice that honors your existing professional training while ensuring proper preparation for coaching work.
Alignment with Therapeutic Ethics
The BCC credential, granted by the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), is uniquely designed with mental health practitioners in mind. This alignment means the ethical foundations of the BCC credential complement rather than conflict with your existing professional code of ethics as a therapist.
Unlike generic coaching certifications*, the BCC credential recognizes the significant overlap between therapeutic ethics and coaching ethics, providing a seamless ethical framework that allows you to transition between roles with clarity and confidence.
Recognition of Prior Learning and Training
One of the most valuable aspects of the BCC credential for licensed therapists is its recognition of your existing education and training. The BCC acknowledges the extensive prerequisites you’ve already completed as a licensed therapist, allowing you to:
- Complete coaching certification in just 30 hours instead of the standard 60-hour program
- Build upon your existing clinical skills rather than starting from scratch
- Focus your learning specifically on the unique aspects of coaching that differ from therapy
This streamlined pathway respects your professional experience while ensuring you gain the specific coaching competencies needed for this distinct practice area.
Legitimacy and Professional Recognition
The BCC is not just another certificate—it’s a respected, board-certified credential backed by organizations that uphold the highest standards in professional credentialing:
- Granted by the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE)
- Affiliated with the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- Recognized within both mental health and coaching communities
- Based on evidence-based methodologies and practices
This legitimate credential offers the professional protection you need when expanding your scope of practice, reducing liability concerns that can arise when practicing coaching without proper credentials.
Programs like Growing Self’s Coaching Certification for Therapists provide not just the credential itself, but the comprehensive training in coaching psychology that transforms clinically trained therapists into exceptional coaches who can ethically serve clients in both capacities.
By choosing the BCC pathway, therapists can expand their practice beyond the medical model while maintaining their professional integrity and leveraging their existing expertise to create transformative experiences for their coaching clients.
– ICF Certification: The International Coaching Federation offers a broader credential for those looking to dive into the coaching world, regardless of their background. ICF training programs are for civilians without a mental health background. They are typically 60 hour programs and focus on teaching counseling and coaching skills. In my opinion this credential is NOT the right one for therapists for a variety of reasons.
- You have many transferrable skills that are applicable to coaching, and do not need to pay for many hours of training on how to ask open-ended questions, use silence artfully, or practice reflective listening skills.
- The ICF code of ethics is designed for laypeople who coach, not licensed mental health professionals. If you follow the ICF code of ethics to the letter, and even though a layperson coach would be fine if following those guidelines, as a professional, licensed therapist you could still get in trouble.
[Warning] The Wild West of Coach Credentialing: Navigating Unregulated Territory
Unlike the carefully regulated landscape of therapy licensure, the coaching industry remains entirely unregulated. This critical distinction creates significant risks for therapists venturing into coaching without proper guidance.
No Barriers to Entry
The uncomfortable truth about coach credentialing is that there are zero regulatory requirements or oversight mechanisms in place. This reality creates a troubling environment where:
- Anyone can call themselves a “coach” without any training whatsoever
- Any individual or organization can create and sell a “coach certification program”
- Self-proclaimed “coaching experts” can invent credentials with impressive-sounding acronyms
- Programs can make outlandish claims about their legitimacy with no accountability
This absence of regulation has led to a proliferation of coaching programs that lack substance, ethical foundations, or evidence-based methodologies.
Marketing Over Methodology
Many coaching certification programs marketed to therapists focus primarily on business-building and marketing strategies rather than developing legitimate coaching psychology skills. While these programs promise to help you attract coaching clients, they often fail to equip you with:
- Evidence-based coaching frameworks and methodologies
- Clear ethical guidelines for navigating the therapy-coaching boundary
- Professional standards that protect both you and your clients
- Structured approaches to coaching psychology
- Research-backed intervention strategies
Without these essential components, these programs leave therapists vulnerable to ethical violations and potential liability issues.
Choosing Legitimate Credentials
To protect yourself professionally and ensure you’re receiving quality training, limit your consideration to programs affiliated with established credentialing bodies:
- BCC (Board-Certified Coach): The gold standard for therapists, with direct alignment to mental health professional standards and recognition of your existing training
- ICF (International Coach Federation): While not specifically designed for therapists, the ICF does maintain established standards and ethical guidelines for the coaching profession
Programs without affiliation to either of these recognized credentialing bodies warrant extreme caution. Without these established frameworks, programs are free to create their own definitions of coaching competency, potentially leading you down a path that conflicts with your therapeutic training and ethics.
For therapists specifically, BCC-affiliated programs offer the most coherent path forward, as they’re designed with an understanding of therapeutic training and ethics. These programs build upon your existing expertise rather than asking you to adopt potentially conflicting approaches that could jeopardize your professional standing.
The bottom line: In an unregulated industry, the credential behind your coaching certification matters tremendously. Choose wisely to ensure your coaching practice stands on solid ethical and methodological ground.
Ready To Take the Next Step?
Bridging the Gap: Why I Created the Growing Self Coaching Certification for Therapists
After years of training my internal team at Growing Self and providing clinical supervision for both therapy and coaching, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound transformation that occurs when therapists master evidence-based coaching methodologies. This experience has crystallized my understanding of an essential truth: today’s landscape demands that therapists evolve beyond traditional therapeutic approaches.
The Evolution of Client Needs
While you were perfecting your clinical skills, the world shifted beneath our feet. We’ve entered the era of Mel Robbins—a time when your ideal clients, those growth-oriented, motivated individuals you love working with most, aren’t necessarily seeking behavioral healthcare. They don’t want to dissect their past; they want to build their future.
These clients are actively seeking coaching, not insight-oriented talk therapy. And the evidence supports their intuition. Evidence-based coaching psychology has emerged as a legitimate, respected modality for creating change—one that’s often more effective than traditional therapy for non-clinical clients.
The Preparation Gap
Despite our extensive clinical training, most therapists aren’t prepared for this shift. We haven’t been trained in coaching psychology methodologies, creating a significant gap in our service offerings. This vacuum has allowed unqualified “life coaches” to step in and attract the very clients who would benefit most from our expertise.
The irony is striking: as therapists, we’re actually better positioned to deliver transformative coaching experiences than anyone—if we add evidence-based coaching psychology to our toolkit. Our clinical foundation provides the perfect springboard for mastering coaching methodologies, creating a powerful combination that no traditional coach can match.
Education and Credentialing That Therapists Trust
Growing Self’s commitment to excellence extends to our credentialing partnerships. As a CCE Registered Credential Training Provider (RCTP #1051-BCC) and NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7405), our program meets the highest standards in the field.
The Coaching Certification For Therapists program provides:
- The full 30 hours needed to earn your BCC credential
- Between 30-50 CEUs that count toward your licensure renewal requirements
- Live, interactive classes that deepen your understanding through real-time learning
- An 8-week internship that allows you to hone your coaching skills under expert supervision
This comprehensive approach ensures you’re not just learning coaching theory—you’re developing practical skills you can immediately apply with clients while earning credentials that enhance your professional standing.
The Growing Self Solution
This program isn’t just another certification. It’s the culmination of years of real-world application, clinical supervision, and practice development. Beyond the credentials, you’ll gain:
- Real-world experience applying coaching methodologies with actual clients
- Solid ethical foundations that respect your therapeutic background
- Self-of-therapist identity development to help you navigate both roles
- Practical coaching skills that complement your existing clinical expertise
- Board Certification that differentiates you from unqualified coaches
By becoming a Board Certified Coach through our program, you gain both the competence and confidence to meet today’s clients where they are. You’ll differentiate your practice, break free from the limitations of the medical model, and position yourself as the powerful change agent your ideal clients seek.
The Choice Is Yours
The gap is real. Growth-oriented clients want and need your expertise. They are actively looking for you. The question is: Will you be the therapist who evolves to meet them, or the one who gets left behind?
Learn more about the Growing Self Coaching Certification for Therapists
Ready to take the next step? Apply now to enroll or schedule an enrollment interview with me to discuss how this program can transform your practice.
I hope this helps!
Let’s Stay Connected
Have questions or want to share your own coaching journey? Connect with me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear your thoughts and help you navigate this exciting career path!
Xoxo
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
PS: If you know a colleague who’s been dabbling in coaching—or thinking about making the leap—do them a favor and share this article. It might just be the nudge they need to make an informed, intentional decision. 🌟
Resources:
Harris, E. A., & JD, E. D. (2009). Coaching: A New Frontier Some Questions and Answers.
Duffy, M., & Passmore, J. (2010). Ethics in coaching: An ethical decision making framework for coaching psychologists. International Coaching Psychology Review, 5(2), 140-151.
Aboujaoude, E. (2020). Where life coaching ends and therapy begins: Toward a less confusing treatment landscape. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(4), 973-977.
Hart, V., Blattner, J., & Leipsic, S. (2001). Coaching versus therapy: A perspective. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 53(4), 229.
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