How Non-Clinical Help Supports Mental Health

Mental Health and Life Coaching

Commonly, when people think of mental health support, they think of clinical treatment and therapists. While therapists are amazing resources for those seeking mental health support, therapists are not the only way to stay on top of well-being. Non-clinical services, such as life coaches, can be great for preventative care as well as a resource to help work through everyday obstacles from work life to personal life. Life coaches are not for those in crisis, but for those who are looking for a support system in their daily lives.

Mental health is commonly associated with disease and treatment, which is not always the case.  Instead, mental health is on a continuum, and we all need to protect and care for mental health through prevention and learning skills we may not have learned in our childhoods. Many people are in the workforce and are stressed about things they have never been stressed about before and need someone to help them prevail. Similarly, life coaching does not require the client to have a specific problem they need to resolve. Life coaching is about uplifting people to the next level and enhancing the skill set a person already has. Many users of life coaching will find themselves asking: “is this habit serving me or getting in my way?”

With an average yearly growth of 6.7%, life coaching is the second fastest growing industry in the world and in 2019, had a global market size of over $15 Billion. Life coaching is becoming increasingly recognized as preventative care as well as a variety of other topics. Whether you need someone to help improve your workplace well-being or a support system to talk through life’s challenges, a life coach is there and ready to help.

Supporting vs. Treating Mental Health

One of the biggest differences between clinical care and life coaching is the approach. Clinical care requires all practicing therapists to follow the American Psychological Association DSM criteria for diagnosing and treating mental health. Therefore, therapists/psychiatrists must undergo significant education and training to follow strict protocol. On average, it takes about 12 years to become a practicing psychiatrist; this includes four years of college, four years of medical school, and four years of residency. A therapist must obtain at least a bachelor’s degree and most continue to a master’s degree.

A common assumption about life coaches is that anyone can call themselves a life coach. While certainly anyone can go around saying they are a life coach, coaching platforms, such as TaskHuman, require life coaches to obtain coaching certification. Jean Sheridan, integrative wellness coach, believes that true life coaching certification cannot be completed in six weeks or even six months because life coaching is not about giving advice, it’s about knowing how and what questions to ask and listening to the response. True coaching certification is often very robust and it takes significant time for qualified life coaches to learn the skills necessary. According to an ICF Global Coaching Study, 95% of surveyed coaches had completed 60 hours or more of training, while 43% said they had completed more than 200 hours of training. Similarly, 74% of coaches report having a certification from professional coaching institutions.

Unlike therapy which focuses on childhood and past experiences, life coaches focus on the now and the future to become the best versions of oneself. Life coaches believe that the solutions are within ourselves and help bring it out through personalized sessions. Coaches may use methods such as breath work to help with stress management or talk through tools that work within their client’s life to help them enhance where they are at any particular moment. As a consumer, people need to feel comfortable with their life coach. Sheridan states, “I have no problem with my clients challenging me; it’s not about power, it’s about partnership.” A user can seek a life coach for a specific need and feel benefited after just a session or two, while others may continue to see their life coach on a weekly basis.

Life Coaching and Employees

Employee well-being is vital to a successful business. In a post-pandemic workplace, organizations are paying greater attention to employee experiences than ever before. In fact, 63% of organizations that offered a coaching program to their employees reported higher revenue and growth among their competitors. When employees have strong mental health, financial gains are sure to follow, as the ROI for investing in a coaching platform was nearly 600%. Workplace challenges can be frustrating for employees, especially when they have no external support. A study of Fortune 500 companies reported that coaching resulted in a 61% improvement in job satisfaction scores as well as a 48% rise in quality. Personal life challenges often intrude into workplace performance and coaches are able to help employees improve their well-being and overall job satisfaction.

Virtual Coaching Platforms

The beauty of a virtual coaching platform, such as TaskHuman, is that you are not committed to a life coach. A user can easily ask for a suggestion for a coach that may be better suited for their needs or try different coaches until they find the right fit. Instead of spending hours looking through countless websites, a user can simply scroll through the platform and discover over 1000 different topics being actively coached on across work and personal life. The ability to be instantly connected to a life coach via LIVE 1:1 video call is rare and a benefit to any person’s life. Users can find support through personalized sessions or attend group coaching sessions. Throughout a user’s journey, there is plenty of in-app content including blogs and podcasts to aid in the user’s needs and progress.

TaskHuman specialists can help users overcome life’s challenges and to become the best versions of themselves. Whether you have a specific habit you wish to break or are simply looking to improve your well-being, there is a TaskHuman coach ready to help. With a variety of globally vetted coaches and over 1000 topics, there is no limit to supporting your mental well-being. Start by exploring one of our well-being topics including wellness, life purpose, emotional intelligence, and stress management. Don’t wait! Book a demo today and start seeing a change in your well-being!

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