There are a number of ways that coaching has been distinguished from psychotherapy. It has been said that coaching is about creating your future, while psychotherapy is about resolving your past; that coaching is about taking action in the external world, while psychotherapy is about developing your inner world; and that coaching is about creating while psychotherapy is about healing. Arguments can be made that psychotherapy does some of the things included in coaching and vice versa.  There is, however, one very clear distinction between psychotherapy and coaching. 

Psychotherapists are trained to diagnose and treat emotional issues and coaches are not.  The focus of psychotherapy is often on healing emotional wounds from the past that interfere with current functioning. The practice of psychotherapy is regulated by law. Coaching does not focus on healing emotional issues. This does not mean, however, that emotions are not part of the coaching process.  Emotions are just part of being human and will of course be present in coaching sessions, just not the focus of the work.  

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