Table 1.

From Perkins et al. (2012)

A therapeutic approach	An educational approach
Focuses on problems, deficits and dysfunctions;	Helps people recognize and make use of their talents and resources;
Strays beyond formal therapy sessions and becomes the over‐arching paradigm;	Assists people in exploring their possibilities and developing their skills;
Transforms all activities into therapies – work therapy, gardening therapy etc;	Supports people to achieve their goals and ambitions;
Problems are defined, and the type of therapy is chosen, by the professional ‘expert’;	Staff become coaches who help people find their own solutions;
Maintains the power imbalances and reinforces the belief that all expertise lies with the professionals.	Students choose their own courses, work out ways of making sense of (and finding meaning in) what has happened and become experts in managing their own lives.