Ep 107: Coaching vs. Mentoring vs. Therapy: What's the difference?

There’s a line—and every coach needs to know where it is. When a client starts unraveling childhood trauma, asking for advice, or bringing deep grief into the session… are you coaching, mentoring, or sliding into therapy without meaning to? This episode is for the coach who cares deeply—and doesn’t want to cause harm. We’re digging into the ethical gray zones where even experienced coaches can lose footing. What do you say (or not say) when a client wants emotional healing you’re not trained to offer? How do you hold firm to scope without abandoning your client in a hard moment? We’ll break down real-world examples and the invisible pressures that get good coaches in trouble: the urge to “fix,” the fear of being too hands-off, the temptation to become a therapist-lite. You’ll leave this episode with clearer boundaries, stronger confidence, and language you can actually use when a session goes off-road. Being an ethical coach doesn’t mean holding back—it means knowing your role and showing up with grounded, skillful presence. Coaching + Courage + Community = CLCC. We're a life-changing program, for you to become a life-changing coach. Our Level 1 ICF-Accredited program has worked with graduates from around the world. The first life you change? It'll be your own. We're the Credentialed Life Coach Collective, or CLCC, and we're here to give you a powerful coaching skill-set mixed with profound personal and professional growth. Head to to get our catalogue and the free "Become a Coach" video series to learn more about becoming a life coach, choosing a coaching niche, how coaches make money, and more. Social: LinkedIn

You can listen to Ep 107: Coaching vs. Mentoring vs. Therapy: What's the difference? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Ep 107: Coaching vs. Mentoring vs. Therapy: What's the difference? is an episode from Craft of Coaching Podcast by Kate Swoboda.

This episode is 24:54 long.

This episode was published on Mar 16, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Craft of Coaching Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.