Psychologist or life coach?

Recently my Instagram instructor, Zarina Ivanter, interviewed a fashion expert, Yulia Pozdova, about an outfit for business people. My attention was drawn to Yulia’s brief comparison between psychotherapists vs. psychologists vs. life coaches.

She said, “A psychotherapist digs deep, long and expensive.”

She suggested that in America they decided that people need different specialist – just a psychologist who will not work with you, lying on a couch for five years, instead they will work quickly and progressively. Like a psychotherapist, a psychologist too, analyzes one’s childhood trauma. 

“Then,” Yulia said, “people began to live even faster. Clients complained: ‘I don’t want to dig into my childhood, I don’t want to deal with trauma. I want to go forward despite my problems.’ And then there was the life coach. It’s about the future and about strategies, how to approach this future without dealing with your injuries. 

“Therefore, a life coach is about activity, cheerfulness, youthfulness, quick problem solving.”

I was amused with this clear and quick comparison, and made a drawing.

I liked the point that the main difference is in the focus of attention. While psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists are focusing on the past and dealing with trauma, crisis, and diagnosis, life coaches, mentors and motivators focus on the client’s future and working on strategies to fulfill their dreams and desires.

Would you agree with this?

#psychologist

#lifecoach

#psychologistvslifecoach