The Difference Between IFS Therapy and IFS Coaching – and Why You May Want Both

The Difference Between IFS Therapy and IFS Coaching – and Why You May Want Both

When it comes to personal growth, there are many different approaches you can take. Two of the most common ones are therapy and coaching. But how do you know which one is right for you? As an IFS-trained life coach who’s been practicing for over a decade, I want to share what I’ve learned about the differences between these two approaches and how combining them can lead to deep, sustainable transformation.

Therapy vs. Coaching: What’s the Difference?

Therapy tends to focus more on the past. It's about healing emotional wounds, processing trauma, and understanding how past experiences are affecting your present-day life. A therapist will often help you uncover the root causes of your struggles, whether they're emotional patterns or past traumas, and work with you to bring them into the present where they can be processed and healed.

On the other hand, coaching is more future-focused. It's about setting goals, creating a vision for your life, and developing a plan to get there. A coach helps you clarify what you want, why it’s important to you, and how to remove the obstacles in your way so you can achieve those goals. Coaches focus on helping you move forward, often with actionable steps and strategies.

While these are two distinct methods, I’ve found that both approaches are incredibly valuable and, when combined, can create even more powerful and lasting change.

Why I Developed the Self-Leadership Coaching Method

After spending over 10 years practicing IFS as both a therapeutic modality and within a coaching framework, I noticed a gap: most coaches focus on the future, but don’t always address the deeper, internal obstacles that might be holding you back from achieving your goals. Meanwhile, many therapists do amazing internal work but often leave clients without a clear plan for how to apply that inner healing to their future vision.

That’s why I created the Self-Leadership Coaching Method. This method combines the inner healing work of IFS therapy with the forward momentum and goal-setting focus of coaching. It’s designed to help you clear internal obstacles and take action on your goals, creating a path for deep, sustainable change.

The Power of Combining Therapy and Coaching

Think about it this way: imagine setting a goal, but feeling an invisible resistance whenever you try to make progress. This happens more often than we think! Many times, the reason we don’t reach our goals isn’t because we lack motivation or willpower, but because there are parts of us that fear the outcome. Perhaps a part of you doesn’t want to succeed because success feels unsafe. Or maybe a part fears failure, so it holds you back from even trying.

In traditional coaching, the response to this might be to push harder, using motivation and willpower to “get things done.” But willpower can only take you so far. If you’re not addressing the internal resistance, the change you create may not last.

This is where the therapeutic component of IFS comes in. By working with the parts of you that are resisting, you can heal those internal blocks and make space for more self-leadership – the ability to lead your life from a place of clarity, confidence, and calm.

Once those parts are no longer in resistance, you can move forward with your goals more easily. And that’s where coaching can really help you create the future you want.

Is This Approach Right for You?

You may be wondering whether you need therapy, coaching, or a combination of both. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Are you looking to heal past wounds or make sense of past experiences? Therapy might be the best route.
• Are you focused on setting and achieving future goals? Coaching may be the right fit.
• Do you feel like you’ve done some personal healing but are still struggling to move forward? You may benefit from the combination of both.

It’s important to understand where you are in your journey and what kind of support you need at this moment.

Interested in Becoming a Self-Leadership Coach?

If you’re a therapist who wants to integrate more coaching into your practice or a coach who’s looking to bring a therapeutic component into your work, I’ve developed a program specifically for you. The Self-Leadership Coaching Training is an experiential program designed to teach you how to combine the healing power of IFS therapy with the action-oriented approach of coaching.

But even if you’re not a coach or therapist, this understanding of how these two approaches work can help you in your own personal growth journey. Whether you’re working with a therapist, a coach, or both, knowing what to expect from each can help you make more informed decisions about the support you seek.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, both therapy and coaching offer tremendous value, and combining the two can create a more comprehensive approach to personal growth. Whether you’re focused on healing the past or building a better future, the most important thing is finding the right support for where you are right now.

If you're interested in learning more about my Self-Leadership Coaching Training, you can find all the details here. And if you're not looking to become a coach, I hope this blog has given you more clarity on what kind of support might serve you best at this point in your journey.

Thanks for reading, and here’s to finding the growth path that’s right for you.

Warmly,
Conor McMillen
IFS Trained Life Coach