The distinction
Coaching, mentoring, therapy. Three rooms.
They look alike from outside — two chairs and a conversation — and confusing them wastes money at best and causes harm at worst. Here is the difference, in one table and three paragraphs, with no turf war.
Coaching: builds YOUR answerFORWARD
Mentoring: shares THEIR answerEXPERIENCE
Therapy: heals, clinicallyLICENSED
| Coaching | Mentoring | Therapy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looks at | Your present and future | Their past, your future | Your past and present |
| The expert is | You, with a skilled partner | The mentor | The clinician |
| Typical aim | A chosen change in capability or direction | Orientation in a world they know | Healing and clinical wellbeing |
| Qualified by | Craft + credential (ICF/EMCC) or verified operating depth | Having done the thing | A clinical licence |
| Paid? | Yes, scoped | Usually free, relational | Yes, clinical |
| At CVPRO | Yes — the core service | Inside cohorts, peers mentor each other | Never. We refer, with care |
Why the line matters
Each room fails at the others’ job.
A mentor’s answer fits the mentor’s career. A coach who tries to heal is practising without a licence. A therapist does not benchmark you against the CXO market. Respecting the lines is competence, not modesty.
If clinical ground appears in a coaching engagement — and sometimes it does — the CVPRO code requires the coach to say so and suggest appropriate professional support. That is written into the standards.