Knowing the difference between a Preacher and a Teacher

Recently I was reading through one of my favorite blogs, In My Sacred Space, when I came across an article Ashley the author of the blog wrote about.  It was not so much the content which inspired me, but the passion and means behind her writing. Every blogger has that moment where they must stray from the niche of their blog and let a passion, frustration, or an education topic loose on their readers. This inspired me to write this post. Now when you read the title, you may automatically think religion...but this post is quite about what you may initially perceive. 

Some Background

I'm laying in savasana in a yoga class. I can feel my heart starting to slow and sweat roll down my face. Generally I tune out the instructor and do my own thing, however, I can not help but listen to what she is saying. As her message begins to resonate with me, suddenly I feel a red flag pop up in my brain. She is no longer teaching this class, she is preaching to us about how to overcome control issues and eating disorders. UMM... not quite what I want to hear at the end of a yoga class and is she even qualified to be giving up this information??

I frequently attend different fitness classes, and the more I went to different ones, there were particular instructors who stood out to me. These instructors went outside the scope of their practice and instead of teaching the class the area of their experience, they began to preach. Now don't get me wrong, I love encouragement that extends outside the gym.  However, I have learned to distinguish when I am getting preached at.  

My real qualm in all of this are the following two things. One, it is unethical to offer consultation outside of your area of expertise or scope of practice. Two, I have seen the detrimental effects of preaching. So, instead of complaining about the negatives, I am going to talk about what you can do to tell the difference.

Distinguish Teaching and Preaching

Being in the field of mental health, I see many people offering consultation without the proper education. So the million dollar question is how can you distinguish the difference.  Ask yourself the following questions: 

1) What type of information are you looking for and receiving? Are you on a finance blog and suddenly reading a post on mindfulness? Hmm while they may be great at talking about finances, I would check their mindfulness facts.

2) Check their credentials. If you walk into a therapists office you would expect them to hold a degree in psychology or counseling, correct? Ensure when you seek information it is coming from a reputable source. ALSO, listen to the information they are telling you! Your therapist should not be preaching to you about their new diet and how it is the best for you.  That is outside their scope of practice!

3) Look for resources, and listen to your gut. Did you hear something in a class or read something that felt a little off? Trust yourself! If you are in a class go home and look up additional facts on the topic being discussed, or look for resources if you are reading an article. If the media has taught us anything it is we can not trust everything we read and hear!


At the end of the day, it is all about being properly informed.  Check their resources, and check the facts. There is no harm in digging a little deeper to ensure you are receiving accurate information!

-Sarah