Therapist calls me a fraud and a grifter. Here's my response…

Ed JC Smith

Jan '25 (edited) • All Members Post Here

Here's what happened:

I have an ad running on Facebook, to promote our free Expert Coach certification and community.

Yes, it's free...

And yet some people still can't help getting triggered.

Even though they’re therapists who should know better.

Now...

I don't always respond to trolls on Facebook...

But this one was too good to ignore!

Take a look:

THERAPIST: Coaching is mostly BS. In my city, they're all coaching one another in a circle because nobody is buying it any more.

ME: Because that's what you see, does it make it true?

*** this really triggered our lovely therapist ***

THERAPIST: OMG forty years of experience as a professional Change Agent, therapist, I know nothing. hahahahaha.

Listen, you coaches, you really think you can change people by sitting them down, giving them advice and happy clappy claptrap. I've seen it over and over.

How many clients do you think I've had down the decades who have spent a fortune with you charlatans and got nothing lasting from it? Dozens.

You don't understand psychology, you don't understand process, you don't understand mental health, you don't understand the unconscious, you don't understand trauma, nothing.

It's all, hey, you can be amazing if you just listen to me telling you how. Go away. You are all massive frauds. If you really want to 'help' people, man up, train to be an actual therapist.

Coaching is literally 'made up.' You're all little arrogant mini gurus, it's a grift. And yes, it infuriates me. If your ad shows up on my timeline I'm going to tell you the truth. That's what actual therapists deal in you know. The Truth.

ME: what did they teach in your therapist training about judgement? I've been coaching for nearly 30 years and I have played a part in thousands of transformations.

But in your view I don't understand? And I'm a massive fraud? I'm a grifter?

How many clients do you think I've had down the decades who have spent a fortune with therapists and got nothing lasting from it? Does that mean therapy doesn't work?

Coaching is not therapy, and it’s not pretending to be. Ethical coaches understand their scope, respect mental health boundaries, and refer out when trauma or deep psychological issues arise.

But let’s be clear: not everyone is seeking therapy. Some people need forward-focused, action-oriented support, which coaching provides. Your experience, impressive as it is, doesn’t make you the sole arbiter of what works for everyone.

While it’s valid to critique bad actors in any field, dismissing an entire profession comes off as defensive rather than constructive. It’s possible for multiple approaches to be valid without one negating the other.

Perhaps the real truth lies in being open to that possibility.

THERAPIST: ***crickets***

===

OK, fun over :-)

I wanted to share this with you because... well, two things.

First, let's talk about the whole therapy vs coaching thing.

Look, they're different tools. End of.

Great coaches know exactly what they do (and don't do).

We're not trying to be therapists. We're here for people who want someone in their corner, pushing them forward, helping them take action.

The other point is…

The minute you start putting yourself out there as a coach, you're gonna get haters.

That's just how it goes.