Executive Coach vs. Therapist vs. Consultant: Which One Do You Need?

When you are an executive facing a new challenge, one of the hardest questions can be who to ask for support. The more senior you are at your organization, the less you can count on your own manager or leadership to fill the gap.

When it comes to external advisors, executive coaches, therapists, and consultants can all offer help, but they aren’t interchangeable.

“We need people-helpers,” says CHIEF Coach Cheri Bachofer. “We need coaches. We need therapists. We need consultants… They all help us in a myriad different ways.”

The choice comes down to what you really need.

What do coaches, therapists, and consultants have in common?

All of these people-helpers bring their curiosity to your conversations, Bachofer says. And, if they're doing their jobs well, they create a safe, trusted space where you can think out loud.

The difference, she says, is one of focus.

What does a therapist do?

“Typically, you work with a therapist when things aren't working right today," Bachofer says. A therapist “takes you back and has you sorting through, looking through, oftentimes reconciling things that make today work better for you.”

If what’s weighing on you involves your mental health, a licensed therapist is the right person to call. Executive coaching isn’t a substitute.

What does a consultant do?

“A consultant comes in as an expert,” Bachofer says. “You’re working with them for their knowledge.” They've done this specific work for years, often every day, and you're paying for that expertise.

This relationship runs mostly one way: The consultant diagnoses the problem and brings the answer. That's valuable when you need know-how you don't have, but it's a different arrangement from coaching.

What does an executive coach do?

“A coach comes in and meets you right where you are today and directs your focus and attention to the future,” Bachofer says. “How do we take what's working today and move that forward to close the gaps between where you are now and where it is you want to be?”

When you work with an executive coach, your focus is creating your next steps toward the future you want.

CHIEF Coach Regina Zafonte says a lot of executive coaching is about identity work. She likes her clients to think about the impact they want to achieve. “Once they get clear on where they want to take their business, then we start backward,” she says, to understand the type of leader that future requires them to be.

“Sometimes they have to make some shifts,” Zafonte says, “They have to think more strategically, they have to influence even more. So we start with not only building some of those skills, but also expanding the capacity for them to take on more.”

How do you know whether you need a coach, therapist, or consultant?

How do you know which one you need?

Take a page from Bachofer and ask, “What is my focus?”

If you need to make sense of the past or mental health support, start with a therapist. If you need specialized knowledge, hire a consultant. If you're trying to build what comes next, partner with an executive coach.

Many senior leaders find they need executive coaching during times of transition. For example, when:

• You're approaching your “what next.” Bachofer says many of her clients come to her on the verge of a new opportunity when their “knowing is running out.” She said she’s experienced this herself when she started her coaching business, “I realized, ‘I’m about to not know the next thing I’m going to do.”
• You've just landed a bigger role. “It's more money, more people. The stakes are higher. The pressure is more,” Bachofer says.
• You've inherited a much larger team or a struggling business unit. Many of Zafonte’s clients come to her with challenges like these they’ve never encountered before.
• You've received tough 360° feedback. Zafonte says leaders come to her when they realize “their previous playbook of working really hard and being competent and driving for results is insufficient."

What do senior women leaders most often work on with a coach?

Forty-eight percent of women leaders who work 1:1 with coaches through their Chief membership come in with a goal of increasing their executive presence and influence — honing their decisive authority, commanding the room in male-dominated executive settings, and speaking with gravitas. Thirty-six percent want help navigating organizational politics. And 35% want guidance planning their 5–10 year career trajectory or making a pivot.

When it comes to executive coaching, listen when others tell you, even if it’s tough to hear, Bachofer says. “I think you either know yourself, and if you don’t know yourself, look to the signs that are coming to you externally.”

What do senior leaders gain from executive coaching?

Some of the top benefits Bachofer sees among her clients are:

1. Clarity. They look back and they realize they gained clarity on decisions they were facing, situations they found themselves in, thoughts about their future, and next steps. “Overall, they leave coaching clearer. Oftentimes, they leave every session clearer.”
2. Confidence. “When you're clearer, you make better decisions,” and better decisions build confidence.
3. Self-awareness. You get to know yourself better. “You invite a professional, proven, trusted thought partner into these scenarios that you're dealing with every day, and that partnership can help you see things better.”

Match the support to your focus

Therapists, consultants, and coaches all have a place in a senior leader's life. The right choice depends on what you need.