Frequently Asked Questions
- “What is the difference between Christian coaching and Christian counselling?”
- “What is the difference between Christian coaching and Christian spiritual direction?”
- “Do I need to be a Christian to work with your coaches?”
- “How long do coaching programs typically last?”
- “Is coaching available in languages other than English?”
- “What does ‘hearing God’s voice’ mean in a coaching context?”
Answers below…
What is the difference between Christian coaching and Christian counselling?
Christian life coaching and Christian counselling are related but distinct. Counselling (or therapy) is a licensed clinical practice focused on diagnosing and treating mental health conditions — it looks backward to understand the roots of dysfunction and is regulated by professional licensing bodies. Christian life coaching is a forward-focused, non-clinical practice that helps you identify where you’re stuck, hear God’s direction, and take meaningful next steps. It is not a substitute for therapy, and a good coach will refer you to a licensed counsellor when clinical support is what’s needed. At Coaching in Freedom, our coaches are trained in Spirit-led life coaching and spiritual direction — not licensed therapy — and our sessions focus on prayer, inner healing, and discovering what God is saying for your journey ahead.
What is the difference between Christian coaching and Christian spiritual direction?
Christian life coaching and Christian spiritual direction overlap in important ways — both are faith-based, both involve prayer, and both are focused on your relationship with God — but they have distinct emphases. Coaching tends to be more goal-oriented and action-focused. A coach helps you identify what’s blocking you, work through emotional or spiritual barriers, and move forward with clarity and purpose. It is particularly suited to seasons of transition, burnout, anxiety, or when you feel stuck and need momentum.
Spiritual direction is more contemplative and spacious. A spiritual director’s primary role is not to help you solve a problem but to help you notice where God is already at work in your life and respond to Him more deeply. Sessions tend to move more slowly and reflectively, with a focus on cultivating intimacy with God, discernment, and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit over time.
In practice, many of our coaches are trained in both disciplines and will naturally draw from either approach depending on what you need in a given session. If you come needing to break through a specific struggle, the session may feel more like coaching. If you come needing stillness, deeper listening, and a longer view of your spiritual life, it may feel more like spiritual direction. You don’t need to decide which one you want before reaching out — your coach will follow the Spirit’s leading and meet you where you are.
Do I need to be a Christian to work with your coaches?
You don’t need to be a committed Christian to reach out, but our approach is explicitly Christ-centred. Every session is guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit, and our coaches will invite you into prayer and listening for God’s voice as a core part of the process. If you’re spiritually curious, exploring faith, or somewhere in the middle of your journey, you are welcome — many clients have deepened their faith significantly through coaching. If you are looking for a secular coaching approach without a faith dimension, our coaches would not be the right fit, and we may be able to point you toward other resources.
How long do coaching programs typically last?
Each session is approximately 50 minutes. How many sessions you need depends entirely on what you’re working through — some clients experience significant breakthrough in just two or three sessions, while others choose to meet regularly over several months for sustained growth. There is no required program length or minimum commitment. You can begin with a single session and continue from there based on what feels right for your journey. Our coaches will always honour where you are and help you discern what level of support makes sense for your season.
Is coaching available in languages other than English?
At this time, our coaches primarily offer sessions in English. However, Merri Ellen Giesbrecht has worked with clients in over 120 countries since 2003, and sessions have been facilitated across many cultural contexts. If you have a specific language need, please reach out through our contact form and we will do our best to connect you with a coach or trusted referral who can serve you well.
What does “hearing God’s voice” mean in a coaching context?
“Hearing God’s voice” doesn’t necessarily mean an audible voice or dramatic experience. In our coaching framework, it refers to learning to recognize the ways God communicates with you — through Scripture, through a sense of peace or conviction, through images or impressions during prayer, through the counsel of others, and through the gentle inner knowing the Holy Spirit gives. Many of our clients come in feeling like God is distant or silent. A significant part of what our coaches do is help you remove the internal noise — fear, lies, past wounds, spiritual oppression — that makes it hard to receive what God is already saying. Clients regularly describe this as one of the most practically life-changing outcomes of their sessions.
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Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box 