Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Psychiatrist, or Life Coach? – Which One is For Me?
- May 12, 2025
- 5 min read
Desiree Holmes Scherini is an Award Winning, Board Certified, Master Transpersonal Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Author and Intuitive. She helps others through personal intuition, spiritual exploration, and paths toward personal transformation, using Hypnosis and several other modalities including Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness, Psychic Intuitive and Art therapy.
Many people will want to work with someone to overcome personal challenges at some point in their lives. When that happens, there are many options to choose from. Understanding those options is a first step.
The title of this article, “Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Psychiatrist, or Life Coach,” names some options. But within those options, there are numerous specialties. A choice will depend on your specific circumstances, and you may find that you want to work with more than one professional to reach your desired outcome. Let’s explore the differences between them.
A therapist will focus on mental health, psychological issues, and conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. They may focus on “why” an issue exists and help the client achieve a sense of equilibrium in their life. Therapists are usually licensed mental health professionals regulated by the state and professional boards. They may require ongoing education and evaluation and association with a certifying body (in the US, anyway). Their title may be “psychologist,” “counselor,” or “social worker.” They will have a master’s degree or higher.
Therapists often use talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, to explore and resolve the client’s issues. Some may work with a client for years and continue. This will depend on the type of therapy they practice. So, here’s where it gets interesting. When googling “types of therapists” for this article, I got a list of over 20, from “Marriage and Family Counselor” to “Eye Movement and Desensitization Therapist” (EMDR). The good news for someone looking to work with a therapist is that many have multiple ways to work with clients, while a few may specialize. There is likely a therapist who is uniquely suited to your needs.
So, what about a hypnotherapist? The work of a hypnotherapist has quite a bit of overlap with therapy and life coaching. It primarily focuses on addressing emotional and psychological issues, and is best known for dealing with phobias, anxiety, pain management, and behavior changes (weight loss and smoking cessation, for example). As opposed to talk therapy, which is often used by a therapist, the hypnotherapist uses hypnosis to bypass the conscious mind and achieve a swift and fundamental change through the subconscious mind.
When it comes to state oversight, a hypnotherapist falls somewhere between “therapist” and “life coach.” A couple of states require a license, and a few require registration, but most have no specific regulations for the practice of hypnotherapy. (This is similar outside the United States.) A properly qualified hypnotherapist will have been trained and certified by a hypnosis organization that requires membership and continuing education. There are varying levels of certification for hypnosis. Depending on the certifying organization, you may see “Certified Hypnotist,” “Certified Master Hypnotherapist”, “Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist”, as well as “Board Certified Hypnotherapist”. Also, there may be additional certifications for specialized hypnotherapy. Each certification requires additional training.
Sometimes the terms hypnotherapist and hypnotist are used interchangeably, but hypnotherapist is specifically used when referring to someone who uses hypnosis therapeutically. Whereas a hypnotist might practice therapeutically or may use it for entertainment only. Many hypnotists have no formal training or certification. In some states, the use of the term “hypnotherapist” is regulated and allowed only for licensed therapists who use hypnosis in their practice.
Psychiatrists may also do “therapy,” but are not only trained in Mental Health, they are also Medical Doctors capable of prescribing medication. A psychiatrist’s focus is on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. A manual titled “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM) created by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is referenced for specific diagnoses. Treatment often involves medications to address the patient’s issue.
A Life Coach will focus on personal growth, goal setting, relationship issues, and motivation. They focus on “how” to move from a coping or managed state to a thriving state of being. A Life Coach is not required to have specific credentials or licenses, as the field is not regulated in most places. However, many life coaches are indeed trained and certified through coaching programs. Google also gave me over 20 examples of “life coaches”, ranging from “Financial Coach” to “Spiritual Coach”. In general, a life coach will begin by asking you what your goal is and help you take steps toward achieving it. That said, many people go to a life coach for help in clarifying exactly what their goals are (and there is a coach for that, too). Just as therapists may have multiple ways to work with clients, many life coaches have multiple certifications and trainings as well, while others may have a single focus and no training at all.
There can be quite a bit of overlap between the approaches used by therapists and life coaches. For example, there are trainings and certifications in “therapies” like Art Therapy, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, available to life coaches and used by them. Just as certifications in practices such as meditation or mindfulness, often associated with life coaching, may be used by therapists in their practice. As with therapists, some life coaches may suit your specific needs more than others.
Following the first step of understanding the differences between the options available comes narrowing down the choices and checking out their credentials and experience. Their website is a start, but a Google business page or a general search online of their name or business will give you a broader range of information. If they provide the name of their certifying organization or school, check it out too. Also, many therapists, hypnotherapists, and life coaches offer a free phone consult to see if working with them is a good fit for the prospective client. With those steps taken, you are ready to make an informed decision to make your appointment and take the next step toward your personal goals and wellness!
Desiree Holmes Scherini, Master Hypnotherapist and Coach
Desiree Holmes Scherini is an Award Winning, Board Certified, Master Transpersonal Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Author and Intuitive. She helps others through personal intuition, spiritual exploration, and paths toward personal transformation, using Hypnosis and several other modalities including Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness, Psychic Intuitive and Art therapy. As an International Speaker and workshop leader she presents on wellness and metaphysical topics to various groups. She is the host of YouTube and Podcast show “Intuitive Journey with Desiree” and the Author of “Journey to Joy-The Written Path”. You can find more about Desiree through these links.
