Intrusiveness and New Trends

The Phenomenon of Coaching and Alternative Therapies

Today, the mental health field is challenged by the proliferation of unregulated disciplines, with "coaching" being the most prominent.

It is imperative to understand that a coach focuses on training for goal achievement, leadership and specific skill development in functionally healthy individuals.

Coaching is not therapy; it does not have the clinical, theoretical tools or psychopathological training to address deep trauma, anxiety disorders, depression or personality disorders.

Confusion arises when attempts are made to apply motivational and goal achievement methodologies to clinical conditions that require health intervention.

Public Health Risks of Intrusiveness

Professional intrusion occurs when people without the appropriate university degree or the corresponding licensure attempt to perform the functions of a psychologist.

This includes professionals from other fields (such as engineers, lawyers or administrators) who pursue master's degrees or diplomas in areas such as "behavioral counseling" or "sexology" and mistakenly assume that this grants them clinical licensure.

These postgraduate degrees are usually informative or personal growth courses for non-psychologists, but do not qualify them for clinical consultation.

The risk to public health is severe: an inadequate approach may exacerbate the patient's symptoms, chronify disorders or trigger psychic crises due to not knowing how to manage emotional containment or suicidal risk.

The Responsibility of Psychoeducation

Combating intrusiveness is not only a guild defense, but an ethical duty to protect the patient.

The psychologist has the responsibility to educate the community about these differences.

An ethical approach involves knowing when a patient requires clinical psychotherapy and when he or she can benefit from a coaching or counseling process, without mixing competencies.

Allowing unqualified people to treat mental pathologies under the guise of "alternative therapies" or "life coaching" violates the patient's right to receive evidence-based treatment regulated by health laws.

Summary

Coaching focuses on training to achieve goals in healthy people, lacking the clinical and theoretical tools necessary to address profound mental disorders or trauma.

Professional intrusion occurs when people without official qualifications attempt to perform psychological functions, which represents a serious risk to public health and can chronic disorders.

Psychologists have an ethical duty to educate the community about these differences, protecting the patient's right to receive regulated, evidence-based health care treatment.