For decades, executive coaching and psychotherapy have been treated as distinct disciplines — one focused on business performance, the other on unpacking unproductive patterns and personal healing. But, in recent years, the two have been creeping closer together. As they have, it has begged the question, are coaching and therapy really that different?

In this thought-provoking episode of A Podcast About Leadership, Dr. Jonathan Kirschner, clinical psychologist and CEO of AIIR Consulting, sits down with two of his fellow psychologists turned executive coaches, Dr. Joy Nissen and Dr. Davida Vogel, to explore how the worlds of clinical psychology and coaching increasingly overlap, how they strengthen one another, and why drawing a line between them actually matters.

• Discover how coaches with backgrounds in behavioral science use methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other clinical approaches to help leaders clarify values, challenge unhelpful thinking, and achieve meaningful goals.
• Understand why boundaries and confidentiality are essential to successful coaching, and how “setting the frame” early builds trust and alignment across every stakeholder involved.
• Hear why the relationship between coach and client — the “working alliance” — is the single biggest factor driving results in both executive coaching and psychotherapy.
• Learn how AIIR’s Strategic Development Plan and Developmental History Interview bring psychological depth and rigor to executive coaching, turning insights into real, lasting behavior change.
• See how awareness, courage, and curiosity transform insight into action, helping leaders grow not only as professionals but as people.

Whether you’re a coach, psychologist, HR or talent leader, or simply curious about how psychology is reshaping leadership development, this episode offers research-based insights and real-world wisdom you can apply to your own growth— and the growth of those you lead.