SZA's Revelation On The Impact Of Misguided Self-Help & Choosing The Wrong Guides

After trying these techniques with little improvements, the “Kiss Me More” performer reached out to a practitioner, assuming they offered a specific therapeutic approach, only to discover that the individual was a life coach, not a licensed therapist.

“After I had box-breathed myself for three months and didn’t get better, I called her in a f—ing frenzy like, ‘I’m about to commit myself to an institution today, I need help!’ I said, ‘What form of therapy do you do? DBT?’” she told the publication, referring to dialectical behavior therapy.

“She was like, ‘I don’t have a clinical form of therapy because I’m not a licensed therapist, honey. I thought you knew that.’ It turns out she was not a board-certified therapist. She was a f—ing life coach,” the Grammy winner continued.

While it may be easy to confuse the two professions, the purposes of a life coach and a therapist are distinctly different.

Therapists typically have formal education in psychology or counseling, often holding advanced degrees, and are licensed by state boards. They are trained to diagnose and treat mental disorders, with a primary focus on mental health and emotional well-being.

On the other hand, life coaches tend to focus on helping clients get “unstuck” and find directions through their own abilities. While some have specific training, it is not as regulated or standardized as therapy.

Life coaches focus on assisting individuals in setting and achieving personal or professional goals, addressing areas like career, relationships, and personal development.

SZA went on to tell the publication that songwriting serves as a means to both resolve and document problems. Although she still has anxious moments to navigate through, she finds solace in the process of songwriting, noting that creating music allows her to achieve a state of mental clarity.

"When I leave the studio, I feel better and empty," she reflects. "There’s no better sleep than empty-brain sleep, and that can only come after I’ve been in the studio for 10 hours and done something good in there."

Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.