Sometimes we hit difficulties in our careers or other areas of life that are hard to handle alone, and we want support and professional help. But who exactly should you turn to?

The boundaries between the competencies of different specialists are blurred, and their areas of professional responsibility can overlap. Let's finally sort out who is responsible for what in this confusing world of psychologists, psychotherapists, consultants and coaches!

We can compare these specialists by how ready their clients are to solve the problem on their own (from being unable to function independently to taking an active, constructive and responsible stance). "Neighboring" specialists can sometimes replace each other, but at the opposite extremes (psychiatrist and coach) never.
- Psychiatrist: a medical doctor who treats mental disorders and prescribes medication. A psychiatrist's clients cannot cope with their condition on their own;
- Psychotherapist: treats through talk and may prescribe medication. In Russia, by law, a psychotherapist must have a medical education. A psychotherapist's clients are going through significant difficulties and want to substantially improve their quality of life;
- Psychologist: has a humanities education, does not treat or prescribe medication, and works as a counselor. Offers hypotheses about the causes of the problem, taking into account the client's past experience. May use many psychotherapeutic techniques. A psychologist's clients can, in general, cope with their problems but need support, additional information about the problem, and recommendations for developing, for example, communication skills. A psychologist does not tell you how to live or which decisions to make;
- Coach: helps you reach goals and overcome obstacles, plan and design the future. Inspires and motivates, and uses questions and techniques to help you arrive at new ideas and see things from a different angle. A coach's client is fairly well-off and full of energy, and through dialogue reaches a decision on their own.

! If a client has no strength at all, is in depression or other painful states, a coach cannot help them, and they need a doctor!

What do the different career helping professionals do?
- Career guidance counselor helps schoolchildren or adults choose or change a profession and plan an educational route;
- Career consultant helps with finding a job. They help the client write a good resume, find a suitable company and prepare for interviews. If needed, a career consultant discusses the client's career development path and the creation of a favorable professional image on the job market (image, personal brand). A career consultant takes an expert position and knows the specifics of the industry.
- Career coach helps you reach career goals, find the necessary resources and overcome obstacles: professional burnout, conflicts and much more.

Can also discuss building a personal brand. A coach is an expert in methods of reaching a goal and may not know the specifics of the industry.

There are other career specialists who can also help employees, but who act first and foremost in the interests of the organization. This is a big field, like a whole planet. It, too, has its specializations with blurred boundaries.

HR stands for Human Resources. It handles the selection, development and management of an organization's employees, as well as personnel records. HR may be tasked with developing the corporate style, creating a system of rewards and penalties, and organizing team-building events.

There are narrow specializations: a specialist is responsible for a particular function, for example record-keeping, as an HR records clerk. And sometimes many different duties are assigned. For example, a recruiter is primarily responsible for hiring, but may also take on other functions: employee onboarding and motivation, and dismissals.