--- title: "What's the Difference Between Marriage Counseling and Coaching? | Parent Marriage Coaching" url: https://parentmarriage.com/marriage-counseling-vs-coaching description: "What is the difference between marriage counseling and coaching? Who provides each in Florida, who each one fits, and when coaching is the wrong choice." lang: en --- Guide # What's the Difference Between Marriage Counseling and Coaching? They sound like two names for the same hour. They are not. Here is who provides each one, what each is built for, and how to tell which one fits the two of you. Image: Two mugs side by side on a wooden table by a sunlit window (https://parentmarriage.com/assets/session-intro-BvUdJUS9.jpg) A lot of couples start this search late at night, after another fight that went nowhere or another week of polite silence. You type marriage counseling into your phone and get therapists, coaches, clinics and apps in one list. Nobody tells you that these are different kinds of help, built for different problems. Here is the short answer. Marriage counseling is clinical care from a licensed professional. It can assess and treat mental health conditions, and it sometimes runs through insurance. Coaching is not therapy. It works on skills, goals and what the two of you do next. I am a coach, not a licensed therapist, and I do not diagnose or treat anyone. Here is where each one fits. ## Who provides marriage counseling in Florida In Florida, marriage counseling is licensed clinical work. It is usually provided by a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or a licensed psychologist. You may also meet registered interns, who see clients under supervision while they work toward an LMFT, LMHC or LCSW license. These professionals are trained to assess and treat. They can work with depression, anxiety, trauma and other conditions alongside the marriage, and they often look at how the past shapes the present. Some accept insurance, depending on the plan. What a license tells you A state license means the person met Florida's education, supervised experience and exam requirements, and answers to a state board. You can confirm any Florida license on the Florida Department of Health license verification (https://mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/HealthCareProviders) search. ## What coaching is, and what it is not Coaching is not therapy. A coach does not diagnose anyone or treat a condition. Coaching works with two people who are able to change, on the habits that are not working right now: how you argue, how you repair, how you decide things together, and how you find each other again once the kids are asleep. The focus is the present and the next few months. Florida does not license coaching, so credentials come from professional bodies. Mine is the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coaching Federation. It is a coaching credential, not a license to provide therapy. ## The difference, side by side Licensed care Marriage counseling Coaching Marriage coaching A state licensed LMFT, LMHC, LCSW or psychologist. A coach. Coaching credentials come from professional bodies, not the state. Can assess, diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Does not diagnose or treat. Works with people who are able to change. Often explores the past and how it shapes the present. Works on the present and the next few months: skills, habits and decisions. May be billed to insurance, depending on the plan. Self pay. It is not a medical service. Neither column wins. The right one is the one built for the problem you actually have. ## Who each one fits Counseling with a licensed professional fits when something clinical is part of the picture. Depression that has settled over one of you. Anxiety that runs the house. Trauma that keeps hijacking ordinary conversations. If you need a diagnosis or treatment, start there. Coaching fits two people who are safe, functioning and stuck. The same fight every Sunday night. Two roommates who split the school pickups and stopped talking about anything else. It also fits couples who are doing fine and want to stay that way on purpose. Coaching usually fits when you hear yourselves say - We have the same argument every week, almost word for word. - We do not fight anymore. We do not talk either. - We are great at logistics and lousy at being a couple. > The right one is the one built for the problem you actually have. Matthew W. Hoelscher, PCC ## When coaching is the wrong choice Now the hard part, said plainly. Coaching is the wrong tool, and a licensed professional should come first, in three situations. Start with a licensed professional - Abuse or safety concerns Physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or anyone who is afraid at home. Safety comes before any marriage work. - Active addiction Alcohol, drugs, gambling or another active addiction needs treatment first. Marriage work cannot hold on top of it. - A mental health crisis Thoughts of suicide, a breakdown in daily functioning, or a condition that is getting worse needs care now. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. If you or your partner is thinking about suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time. For abuse, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800.799.7233. None of this is a failure on your part. It means the first call goes to someone licensed to help, and if you bring one of these to me, I will tell you so. ## How to tell which one you need Is something clinical driving this, or is it a pattern the two of you can change? Something clinical Abuse, an active addiction, a mental health condition or a crisis. Start with a licensed professional. A stuck pattern Two safe people, the same fights, the slow drift, a marriage running on logistics. Coaching is built for this. If you cannot tell, ask the person you are considering how they would decide, and whether they would ever send you somewhere else. If you are in Miami and wondering who to call, read Marriage Counseling in Miami: Who Is the Best? (https://parentmarriage.com/marriage-counseling-miami-who-is-the-best) Parents of young kids will find a deeper version of this question in marriage therapy vs marriage coaching (https://parentmarriage.com/marriage-therapy-vs-marriage-coaching). ## Talk it through If a coaching approach sounds right, mine is one option. I coach couples from an office in Kendall and by video in all 50 states and DC, and here is how coaching with me works (https://parentmarriage.com/couple-coaching-in-miami). The first call is free, 25 minutes, and for first timers. Book a free consultation (https://parentmarriage.com/talk-to-marriage-coach) and tell me what is going on. If it sounds clinical, I will say so and point you to a licensed professional. No diagnosis, no pressure. ## Questions couples ask ### Is marriage coaching the same as marriage counseling? No. Marriage counseling is clinical care from a licensed professional, such as an LMFT, LMHC, LCSW or psychologist. Coaching is not therapy. It works on skills, habits and decisions in the present, and it does not diagnose or treat anyone. ### Does insurance cover marriage counseling or coaching? Coaching is self pay because it is not a medical service, and I do not bill insurance. Some licensed professionals accept insurance for counseling, depending on the plan. Ask what your plan covers before you book. ### Can we do counseling and coaching at the same time? Sometimes, yes. One partner might see a licensed professional for depression or anxiety while the couple works with a coach on the marriage. The licensed care leads on anything clinical. ### When should we go straight to a licensed professional? When there is abuse or anyone feels unsafe, an active addiction, or a mental health crisis. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. For thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Book a free call: https://parentmarriage.com/book Book a consultation ## 25 minutes. _Honest answer._ Tell me what's going on and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help. No pressure, no sales pitch. Book a free call (https://parentmarriage.com/book) Or call 305.986.2905 (+13059862905) ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "LocalBusiness", "@id": "https://parentmarriage.com/#business", "name": "Parent Marriage Coaching", "description": "Emotionally Connected Couples and Marriage Coaching for parents. 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