Coaching or therapy for fibromyalgia: what’s right for you?
What suits you?
Author: Kerstin Goldstein
Last updated: 25. February 2025
I recently attended a weekend seminar on the subject of fibromyalgia. The participants, all people living with this condition, wore name badges and briefly introduced themselves at the beginning with their name and place of residence. During the break, a participant approached me and asked if I was the person who offered fibromyalgia therapies.
This question got me thinking: Is the difference between a coach and a therapist actually clear? These terms often seem to be confused, especially in Germany. Therefore, in this article I would like to point out the most important differences and explain how I work as a coach.
What does a therapist do?
Therapists are professionals who actively perform treatments for you. A physiotherapist, for example, might guide you through exercises to relieve pain or massage a tense shoulder. The focus is on the therapist’s intervention, sometimes combined with exercises for you to do at home.
As a patient, you typically take on a more passive role. The goal of therapy is to treat a specific issue—whether it’s reducing pain, improving mobility, or addressing other health concerns.
What does a coach do?
A coach, on the other hand, takes a completely different approach. Coaching is about you taking action—discovering your own solutions, gaining new insights, and implementing changes independently.
Unlike a therapist, a coach doesn’t do something for you. Instead, they support and guide you in taking charge of your own progress. You are not a patient, but a client, working with your coach as an equal partner.
A coach helps you develop personalized strategies that fit your life—whether through small habit shifts, new routines, or fibro-friendly approaches to everyday challenges.
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Why is the distinction important?
For me, this distinction is crucial to my self-image as a coach. If someone comes to me expecting therapy, I am not the right person to talk to. My focus is on supporting people with fibromyalgia, offering new perspectives, and motivating them to actively create change in their lives.
Coach vs therapist: Personal and Professional Expertise
A coach often brings personal experience with the challenges their clients face. In my case, I have fibromyalgia myself and understand firsthand how difficult it can be to live with this condition. I combine my own experiences with my professional training at the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute (IFCI) in the USA.
Therapists, on the other hand, don’t necessarily need personal experience with the conditions they treat. Their strength lies in their specialized professional training. And that’s perfectly fine—if I had a stroke, I wouldn’t hesitate to see an occupational therapist, even if they had never experienced one themselves. Their expertise is what matters in that context.
Coaching and Therapy in Comparison
You might already be familiar with the concept of coaching from professional sports. A football coach, for example, is responsible for developing strategies, motivating the team, and ensuring that players apply what they’ve learned during training when they step onto the field.
At the same time, the team’s physiotherapist plays an equally important role—helping players recover from injuries or movement restrictions so they can be fit for the next game.
This comparison highlights the key difference: A coach provides guidance and motivation, while a therapist focuses on direct treatment. Both have their place, but they serve different purposes.
Coaching and therapy as a complement
Coaching and therapy are not mutually exclusive—on the contrary, they complement each other perfectly. Someone with fibromyalgia, for example, might benefit from physiotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, or pain psychotherapy while also working with a coach like me.
In coaching sessions, I help my clients integrate physiotherapy exercises into their daily routine or develop strategies to implement their psychotherapist’s recommendations. My goal is to support them in staying consistent without overexerting themselves.
Bridging the gap between professionals and everyday life
As a coach, I often see myself as a bridge between therapeutic / medical treatment and everyday life. Without this kind of support, well-intended advice or treatment plans often don’t get implemented effectively.
Additionally, as mentioned earlier, therapists are rarely affected by fibromyalgia themselves. While they bring valuable expertise, they may not fully grasp from personal experience how a certain treatment feels for someone with fibromyalgia. Thanks to my own journey with fibro and the insights I’ve gained from working with clients, I can often assess more easily what is realistic and beneficial.
The strength of coaching
Coaching is all about making change manageable in a fibro-friendly way, staying motivated, and building long-term habits. It is not therapy—and that’s exactly its strength.
👉 Would you like to learn more about my 1:1 coaching program for people with fibromyalgia? Book a free appointment through my calendar, and let’s talk.
