Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! (Or, what's the difference between coaches, mentors and counsellors?)

Most coaches, mentors or counsellors are not scary like lions, tigers and bears. They are people you might hope to meet on the journey along your career path. Like those animals, they can be useful motivation to change what you're doing and try something new (be it climbing a tree or playing dead).

Enough with the strained metaphor, what's the difference between a coach, mentor and counsellor? And, why might you choose to see one over the other at certain times?

The focus of coaching tends to be on specific professional skills and knowledge. There is often a defined goal and timeframe, and the coach might establish the steps needed to reach the goal. In education, this can also involve classroom observation followed by reflective discussion. The purpose might be improved student engagement, enhanced assessment feedback, job promotion or increased meeting efficiency, for example.

Mentoring, like coaching, involves one-on-one conversations, but the focus is on personal and professional goals, skills and attributes. Sometimes people start mentoring without having a specific, defined goal and, through discussion, they learn about themself, their values and aims. Often mentoring involves a more experienced teacher/leader supporting a colleague to grow and develop. The purpose may be professional improvement, but it may also be job satisfaction, work-life balance, job promotion or career change.

In contrast, a counsellor may support someone with work issues, but they also work with people experiencing mental illness, grief, trauma and/or addiction (to name a few areas). They usually use talk-based therapy to clarify issues and develop strategies for personal management. At Educator Guidance Group, we are not counsellors.

Like many people, I'm guilty of using the terms coaching and mentoring interchangeably. That's because the times when I've needed to talk to someone about my career, it hasn't really mattered to me what they call themself. If you are interested in a coach or mentor, book a time to meet with us.

Further Reading:

• Coaching and Mentoring | CIPD

• What is coaching and mentoring | East London NHS

• Mentoring vs Coaching: The Key Differences and Benefits | Think Learning

• Counsellors | Better Health Channel