More and more people are becoming aware of the importance of receiving help to treat problems of the mind, both punctual and prolonged over time. The increase in demand for psychologists and the nature of each specific case has led to the existence of several specializations and therapies to treat each of the cases, such as psychotherapy and coaching therapy. Barcelona ProyectoART’s expert psychologists explain what are the main differences between one treatment and the other.
There are many ways to create the necessary conditions for a person to find a way to overcome a situation they are going through, but choosing the right one depends on the experts. The Barcelona psychologists who are referents in eating disorders, self-esteem and couple therapy at ProyectoART are aware of this, and for this reason they agree that “to provide the best support according to each person’s needs, it is important to know how to define the borderline between both disciplines”. They emphasize that these are two methods with much in common, although there are variations that make a difference when it comes to treating the patient. One of the most outstanding ones, they agree, is in the field of action. ProyectoART explains that the purpose of psychotherapy is to resolve an important issue for the person who is going through a bad moment and who is not able to live optimally or feel happy. “It is a treatment aimed at working on relational patterns and lack of mentalization that have an impact on the problems of daily life and cause emotional suffering,” they say. In contrast, they point out, coaching focuses on opportunities for personal and professional growth. That is, to develop new skills. They explain that “we will turn to it when we want to achieve a very specific goal”.
ProyectoART, english speaking therapist center in Barcelona, is an expert in psychotherapy, specifically in psychotherapy for eating disorders, obesity, couples therapy and group and individual therapy. The specialists, who also perform multidisciplinary treatments adapted to the needs of each patient, believe that both treatments can complement each other: “From the multidisciplinary approach with which we work, we believe that both processes can complement each other. It is possible that a person during the psychotherapy process discovers a skill they would like to develop or a new goal they want to achieve,” they specify. The Barcelona therapists have many years of experience in the field and are accredited at European level.
Psychotherapy and coaching: Are they the same?
The answer is no. As practitioners point out, the main difference between one discipline and the other lies in the scope of action. Coaching therapy focuses on helping to achieve a very specific objective through opportunities for personal and professional growth, and through the development of new skills; psychotherapy, on the other hand, seeks to achieve profound changes in the patient in order to heal and solve problems that cause emotional suffering in their daily lives.
In one case we speak of patients and in another of clients
The person seeking help in one case and in the other is very different, ProyectoART explains, which gives rise to a differentiation between patients and clients. In psychotherapy, help is given to patients, so it tends to be a more directed process in which the therapist takes an active role in proposing solutions. Coaching, on the other hand, focuses on accompanying the person who needs it, i.e. the client or the coachee. They indicate that in the latter case the client is the one who defines the objective to be worked on and has the resources to achieve it: “The role of the coach is based on accompanying, asking questions that create awareness and co-designing actions that lead to the desired change”.
Addressing the root of the problem or defining strategies to achieve a goal
Another of the main differences, as ProyectoART psychologists comment, is the approach. That is, in the case of psychotherapy, the aim is to understand the root of the problem in order to find a solution, the “why”. It is for this reason that some episodes of each patient’s past must be dealt with in order to resolve them and improve the current situation. “We analyze both present and past life situations, starting from the premise that our personality is a dynamic system whose development occurs throughout life,” they specify from ProyectoART. Thus, they continue, it is possible to observe the mechanisms that are maintained and are strengthening vicious circles or maladaptive relational patterns. Coaching, on the other hand, focuses on the “so that”, dealing with the present and the future. “Every coaching process starts by defining a desired state, an ideal situation that we want to reach. From there, we work on strategies to achieve it and overcome obstacles,” they argue.
Reflection vs. action: the importance of meditating and taking action
For all these reasons, it is possible to speak of another fundamental difference, according to psychotherapists. This lies in the way in which each therapy is approached. Although both are aimed at achieving change, in the case of psychotherapy, the patient’s reflection is the most important factor, since it is necessary to understand what is happening to him/her in order to change. In coaching, on the other hand, action plays a fundamental role in achieving this. Experts point out that the process of change and learning is not only about the work done, but also about the actions that are carried out between sessions and the discovery that this implies for each client.
The duration of the treatment according to each case
Finally, ProyectoART concludes, it is possible to find a difference in the duration of each treatment or discipline. While coaching tends to be shorter, since an average of 4 to 8 sessions is usually enough, in therapy (or psychotherapy) the process can be longer. It all depends on each patient, they explain, so the number of sessions can range from 6 to 60, depending on each case.
