Your uncertainty is understandable.  Work itself is never �just work� but can reach deep into our attitudes toward ourselves and into our sense of belonging in the world.   Furthermore, therapy and coaching have much in common and differ primarily in the emphasis each places on action and understanding.  Whether you decide to deal with your work issues through a practical approach or a psychological approach is a matter of choice.   The questions posed below should help you make that choice.

 

�Are you an action person or an insight person? 
Most people are both, in some mix, but they instinctively approach change either by setting it in motion with action or by first assessing and preparing for its emotional impact.  A shy mid-level manager, for example, who has taken on new responsibilities that involve public speaking, may gravitate toward a Toastmasters group for help.  She would be a candidate for coaching if she wanted to develop her mastery further.  Or she might prefer to look toward therapy as a setting in which she could explore her anxieties about being in the spotlight. 

 

�What�s your track record for converting personal desires and dreams into real-time?
Although all of us may have periods of doubting whether we deserve work we love and are good at, being able to sustain a commitment to having what you want is essential for coaching.   If you find yourself stuck in daydreaming about the ideal career, or perhaps avoiding or sabotaging efforts to create it for yourself, it may be that you�re blocked by low self-esteem and/or depression.  In this case, therapy might be the better choice, to help you build a positive investment in yourself.

 
�Holding your feet to the fire?too hot?
In the process of revitalizing your career, there�s plenty of research to be done: research into yourself � who you are now and what you want � and research into the marketplace.  A therapist would accompany you in researching yourself but would only indirectly participate in your market research.   Homework and accountability are generally built into coaching, designed by you and your coach.  Whether you find accountability motivating and focusing, or unwelcome pressure, should help inform your decision.