In terms of going to someone else for help in a matter one cannot really handle all on one's own, it makes no sense for a person to take the car that needs its timing adjusted to the cleaners they usually take the dirt out of one's clothes. A person needs to take the car to the mechanic and the clothes to the laundry unless he or she wants the car to get cleaned and still be out of time and doesn't care if the clothes get even more dirty.

This brings up the issue of what people-helping professionals actually do. What's the best fit when you need some help? How does one know which kind of person to go to? A pastor? A lawyer? A medical doctor? A dentist? A counsellor? A psychotherapist? A psychologist? A psychiatrist? A coach? A motivational speaker?

What?!

Well, some decisions are more self-evident than others. If one has a toothache, good luck going to the plastic surgeon. Right? I don't think a face-lift is going to cut it.

On the other hand, when one is worried about the future perhaps needing to change jobs, and contemplating how to handle the demands and expectations of others then it's possible that a person might not know whether to seek the help of a career counsellor, a psychotherapist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a coach, or a motivational speaker. Furthermore, if one is distracted and unable to concentrate, lethargic, lacking interest and joy in life, and feeling pessimistic about that future, one might not know whether to seek the help of one's general practitioner, a psychiatrist, or a psychologist.

Let's clarify a little.

If one feels all is hopeless, in need of a miracle, wavering in faith and wondering where God might be in the midst of their troubles, then one might consult their pastor. Often, though [and I used to encounter this frequently when I was a pastor], a person will not want their pastor to know they are somehow not measuring up as a Christian, so they might try consulting a pastor from another church, or if one is available, they might consider consulting with a psychotherapist or psychologist who has expertise and credentials as a spiritual guide. This would be someone trained in an integrative model, at a graduate school specialising in equipping psychologists to help people of faith.

If one is concerned about possibly being made redundant or is just tired of one's kind of work, he or she might consult with a career counsellor. A career counsellor is someone who helps people with job-related issues. The focus is generally on such topics as career exploration, career change, personal career development and other career-related issues. Thus, the counsellor is someone who offers advice and provides resources, perhaps even suggesting various processes one might utilise, in pursuing a career. This goes beyond looking for another job.

If a person has physical problems arising out of the stress of the situation, what one prominent theorist called "press" [a term I thought was appropriate], then he or she might consult their doctor, their physician.

If a person feels anxiety, depression, suffers from panic, is hiding out and fears being in public or suffers with any number of other psychological symptoms, and if all they really want is a relatively quick reduction of symptoms, then going to a psychiatrist might be in order. I think of medications like this: if you are sinking and cannot get traction with a plan for the future, and especially if that sinking becomes dangerous, then medications would be appropriate. However, medications are like going on a diet; with a diet you take the weight off for as long as you follow the diet, but as soon as you go off the diet, chances are you will put the weight back on. If a person's situation or lifestyle does not change, chances are going off the medications will result in a return of troubling symptoms.

Similar to this, if all one wants is to have a temporary high, a shot of hope and enthusiasm, then going to see a motivational speaker might be in order. However, very little of lasting value comes from a one-time meeting like that.

Now, if a person wants to change the lifestyle so as to impact and alter the situation, then one likely needs a psychotherapist, psychologist, or coach. Often a psychologist also conducts psychotherapy, so let's consider the difference between psychotherapy and coaching.

A psychotherapist often deals with someone experiencing some form of dysfunction in which he or she receives a diagnosis that qualifies that person for some kind of insurance reimbursement. The coach deals with a relatively healthy person desiring to improve the situation. The psychotherapist deals in term of pain or dysfunction, while the coach seeks to build skills and/or develop capacities and strengths within a person resulting in positive outcomes. The coach assumes emotions are natural, deals with the present situation, and builds a co-creative, equal relationship conducive to achieving the client's goals. Often the psychotherapist sees emotion as problematic, deals with past influences, and assumes an expert position, applying various psychological interventions so as to effect change.

Actually, forms of psychotherapy differ, and the stereotypes of what psychotherapy is don't accord with much of contemporary practice. For instance, most psychotherapists today work to support a co-created alliance, or therapeutic relationship that resembles what a coach does, and many psychotherapists work with what is currently going on.

Goodness of fit. Get a coach to build on skills, increase performance, and develop a more productive personality. Get a psychologist to change destructive patterns, overcome psychological disorders like depression and anxiety, and recover from addictions and self-medicating behaviors. Why? Because you just don't wear stripes with plaids.