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Positive Psychology Coaching and Life & Relationship Coaching: What’s the Difference?



Coaches, whether a positive psychology coach or a life & relationship coach, can transform lives.


When you plan to receive personal coaching, you must identify what you intend to derive from the coaching. Narrow down the possible problems, pain points & improvements associated with various spheres of your life.


Identifying the aspect of life that requires the most resolution can further enable you to pick the right coach in the right field of study. The solution you seek can be directed towards your overall outlook towards life, relationships & work.


Positive psychology coaching & life & relationship coaching are two such fields of coaching that have received increased attention from individuals lately. The complex emotions that occupy the human mind can make it increasingly difficult to differentiate between the two coaching approaches.


A complete understanding of the coaching approaches & what suits you best can only be achieved by being aware of the role played by the coach. Let us look into each of the coaching approaches & identify their key differentiators.


Positive Life Coaching vs. Life & Relationship Coaching

Core Idea: Positive Life Coaching

Humans thrive & perform best with a balanced mind & body. The balance between the positive & negative within ourselves is one such factor. Positive psychology coaching aims to strike that balance to derive a positive ripple effect in all other areas of life. This approach does not imply that the negative aspects of an individual’s life are entirely removed. Instead, it focuses on amplifying the positive elements of one’s life to match the focus on the negative.


Core Idea: Life & Relationship Coaching

Frequently, as individuals change, their life & key relationships change with them. During such changes, support & guidance from individuals experienced in life & relationship coaching can come in handy. A life & relationship coach is equipped with the experience to approach your life & relationship objectively, without letting any underlying biases get in the way.


Role of The Coach: Positive Life Coaching

Initially, a trained positive psychology coach understands from the client the negative and positive behaviors & outcomes. These behaviors are further studied to identify the imbalances & bottlenecks to the core objective of an individual.



Role of The Coach: Life & Relationship Coach

A life & relationship coach brings together an implementation of the fundamentals of psychology, counseling & leadership, to name a few. A life & relationship coach enables you to identify the goals you want for your personal & professional relationships, lifestyle, career & family. These goals are further used to identify any negative patterns in an individual’s life.


Tools & Techniques Used: Positive Life Coaching

The positive psychology coach uses tools & techniques such as the positivity ratio, active constructive responding & future self exercises. These tools give the coach insights into the strengths, weaknesses & areas of imbalance of an individual and the appropriate approach to be undertaken for balance.


Tools & Techniques Used: Life & Relationship Coaching

Tools and techniques such as personal discovery questions, positive reframing exercises & gratitude journaling are used by a life & relationship coach to transform lives. Each tool is modified to best suit the experience & requirements of the client.


Other Differentiators


Underlying Research:

Positive psychology coaches primarily derive their tools & techniques from research based on positive psychology. Thereby the measurable attributes used to study client behavior are most often backed by research. Comparatively, positive psychology coaching offers higher certainties as compared to life & relationship coaching. However, life & relationship coaches have equally powerful success stories that vouch for the rigor of the approach.


Approach Type:

A life & relationship coach is not dependent on a specific set of predefined tools & techniques. The tools & techniques used by a life & relationship coach can vary from client to client. The flexible nature provides life & relationship coaches with more resources to help achieve client goals. A positive psychology coach might not dedicate the same time as a life & relationship coach to understanding clients & their motivations.


Bringing on board a coach involves vulnerability about detailed aspects of your life. It is essential to identify where your goals lie & which coaching approach works best for you.


Ideally, an approach that is flexible to suit your requirements & experiences with a coach that is open to new tools & techniques works best for most individuals. However, you can also bring together both the coaching approaches & derive benefits from the best of both worlds for a true transformation!

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