The behavioral health industry has faced a long-standing crisis of understaffing that has significantly undermined its capacity to meet the growing demand for mental health services. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), only slightly more than a quarter of the nation’s mental health needs are being adequately addressed. With this gap between demand and availability, the mental health sector has had to innovate, and one of the most promising developments has been the rise of mental health coaching.
Mental health coaching is emerging as a vital resource for individuals with lower-acuity mental health issues—those who are not in immediate need of intensive therapeutic intervention but still require guidance, structure, and support. This model helps fill the gap by offering patients the tools they need to improve their mental well-being through goal-setting and behavior change. It’s a solution that benefits both clients and the industry at large, empowering individuals while simultaneously alleviating some of the pressure on overloaded mental health professionals.
Mental Health Coaching: A Growing Need for Accessible, Effective Support
The core premise behind mental health coaching is simple yet powerful: individuals facing stress, anxiety, mild depression, or behavioral struggles can benefit from support that focuses on goal-setting, personal development, and behavioral transformation without the need for a diagnosis or long-term therapy. These patients are often highly motivated but require assistance in reaching personal milestones and making lasting changes.
Mental health coaching provides a practical solution for those who may not require therapy or a formal diagnosis but still need guidance on how to manage their daily lives, reduce stress, and address issues like mild depression, anxiety, or relationship difficulties. Coaches work with clients on a regular basis to break down their goals into actionable steps, helping them build better habits, improve their mental well-being, and develop coping strategies that fit into their day-to-day lives. In this way, coaching serves as an early intervention method, preventing mental health concerns from escalating into more serious conditions that require intensive therapy.
The benefits of this model are twofold: patients receive the support they need in an accessible, cost-effective way, and the overall burden on traditional therapists is reduced. This allows therapists to focus on individuals with more severe mental health issues, while coaches can help those who fall into the lower-acuity category. Given that the behavioral health industry is facing a shortage of trained professionals, mental health coaching provides a crucial intervention that supports broader access to care.
Coaching vs. Therapy: A New Career Path with Flexibility and Impact
Many of the professionals who become mental health coaches are highly educated individuals who could pursue a career as licensed therapists. However, coaching offers a unique appeal due to its flexibility, autonomy, and the ability to create personal connections with clients. As Amy Schamberg, a nationally board-certified health and wellness coach, points out, mental health coaching is about empowerment. She notes that coaching is a great way to break down barriers for clients and help them take actionable steps towards meaningful change.
Schamberg has a strong academic background, including a decade of experience working as a school psychologist. After suffering from burnout in her previous career, she transitioned into coaching. She found that being able to guide people in setting and achieving their goals brought immense personal satisfaction. The transition was not easy—Schamberg took a significant pay cut to switch to coaching—but the flexibility, the autonomy, and the ability to truly help people made it worthwhile.
The shift from therapy to mental health coaching is not uncommon. Many coaches hold advanced degrees, including master’s degrees in psychology, counseling, or related fields, and some are even on the path to becoming licensed therapists. However, the appeal of coaching often lies in the ability to focus on behavior change, set clear goals with clients, and help them achieve those goals without the complex, time-consuming requirements that therapy typically entails.
For example, Schamberg’s role at Headspace, a mindfulness and mental health company, allowed her to work with clients via digital platforms in an innovative, flexible environment. While she ultimately left Headspace to create her own coaching practice, the experience provided her with valuable insights and training, particularly in managing multiple client conversations at once. For many coaches, companies like Headspace offer strong training programs and support, creating an environment that nurtures professional growth while maintaining a sense of autonomy and flexibility.
The Compensation Landscape: A Trade-Off Between Flexibility and Pay
Despite the satisfaction that comes with helping others and the flexibility that coaching provides, it’s important to acknowledge the compensation disparity between mental health coaching and licensed therapists. According to a report by Therapists in Tech, the average salary for a behavioral health coach is around $70,000, while licensed therapists earn closer to $90,000 annually. This pay gap is significant, particularly considering that many coaches hold advanced degrees and have considerable experience.
However, for many coaches, the benefits of the job outweigh the lower salary. The flexibility and work-life balance that come with coaching can be highly attractive, especially for those who may have experienced burnout or dissatisfaction with the traditional therapeutic model. Mental health coaching also offers a career path that allows professionals to work directly with clients on a personal level, providing real-time feedback and support that leads to visible transformation.
For instance, Headspace offers its coaches educational stipends, health benefits, and other perks that help make the job more rewarding. While the pay may not be as high as that of therapists, the overall job satisfaction, the ability to work remotely, and the opportunity to help clients make significant changes in their lives often compensate for the financial differences.
Education and Training: The Expertise Behind Effective Coaching
One of the defining characteristics of mental health coaching is the expertise and qualifications required of coaches. Many coaches possess master’s-level degrees in psychology, counseling, or other related fields. This higher level of education ensures that coaches can provide clients with effective, evidence-based guidance while also understanding the complexities of mental health.
For instance, Headspace requires its coaches to hold at least a master’s degree in a psychology-related field and complete over 200 hours of supervised training. This extensive preparation ensures that coaches are fully equipped to support their clients and work within the bounds of professional ethical standards.
In addition to formal education, companies like Headspace, Lyra, and others provide in-depth training programs that are specifically designed for mental health coaching. For example, Lyra’s mental health coaching program includes a rigorous four-to-six-month onboarding process, which includes live training workshops, asynchronous preparation, and personalized feedback. This ensures that coaches are not only well-educated but also prepared to implement evidence-based methods in their work with clients.
The Benefits and Challenges of Mental Health Coaching
Mental health coaching offers several compelling advantages, both for clients and professionals. For coaches, it provides an opportunity to work with clients who are motivated to make positive changes but may not require intensive therapy. The ability to help clients set and achieve realistic goals brings a sense of accomplishment, especially when clients experience personal growth and transformation. Coaches like Schamberg and Melamed appreciate the more proactive nature of coaching, where clients are generally not in crisis but are seeking to improve their lives and well-being.
For clients, mental health coaching offers a more affordable, accessible option for those who may not need a full-time therapist but still require support. It’s a career path that allows professionals to form deep connections with their clients, offering tailored advice and support that addresses each person’s unique challenges.
However, coaching is not without its challenges. The work can be isolating, particularly for remote coaches who may not have the same level of community as therapists in traditional settings. Additionally, coaching can involve significant administrative work, including documenting client progress, taking notes, and preparing for sessions. Coaches like Melamed and Schamberg note that the follow-up and behind-the-scenes work is often more time-consuming than it appears at first glance.
Mental Health Coaching: A Vital Component of Behavioral Health’s Future
As the need for mental health services continues to grow, mental health coaching has become an essential part of the solution. By offering lower-acuity clients a chance to set goals, change behaviors, and improve their well-being, coaching helps alleviate pressure on the overburdened traditional therapy model. For clients, it provides an affordable, flexible way to access support. For professionals, it offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact while enjoying a flexible and rewarding career.
In an industry grappling with understaffing and high demand, mental health coaching has proven itself to be a crucial complement to therapy. As more organizations embrace coaching as part of their mental health care offerings, it is clear that coaching will continue to play a vital role in the future of behavioral health care. Whether through digital platforms or one-on-one sessions, mental health coaching is a powerful tool that empowers individuals, supports their personal growth, and helps meet the mental health needs of a growing population.
