By Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.
I have been offering psychological services online now since 2007. Over the years, the internet has become flooded with life coaches and spiritual advisors offering behavioral health services to individuals with serious psychological conditions.
While one may say, how great it is to have services now widely available and at a far less expense, it is important to acknowledge that these services are clearly different than those offered by a trained clinical psychologist.
How Are They Different?
Far too often people show up with serious psychological conditions themselves, or significant psychiatric disorders in their spouse, and present with the behaviors of domestic violence or narcissistic abuse. It may be true that a life coach, who has had similar encounters with narcissistic domestic abuse, can offer authentic compassion and a toolbox of strategies for coping. However, these people are not trained in psychotherapeutic process, much less in the dynamics of the psychopathology that commonly underlies intimate partner abuse.
The same is true for spiritual advisors. While they clearly may have an expertise in the higher order of things and a grounded spiritual perspective, they too are not trained in psychotherapeutic process much less in the dynamics of the psychopathology that commonly underlies intimate partner violence and narcissistic abuse.
If one is truly seeking to impact change in their circumstances, I urge you to draw from the experience of a trained clinical psychologist in your dealing with intimate partner violence.
If, on the other hand, you have a therapeutic alliance with a trained clinical psychologist and wish to round out your intervention with a spiritual perspective or life coach assistance, then by all means seek their guidance too. But be cautious not to expect one to offer the skills of a clinical psychologist when they are trained as a life coach or spiritual advisor.
Why Does It Matter?
The subtleties of transference and countertransference will not be part of their skill set, as it is not part of their training. And without this, psychotherapeutic change can be less than pure. It can be overlayed with relationship dynamics unidentified leaving the process tainted with multiple variables.
Moreover, an understanding of the various psychopathologies that often display in relationship abuse won’t be parsed out, and therefore identified much less treated effectively. For example, we often see people confusing narcissistic personality disorder with antisocial personality disorder, and behavioral and affective disorders from personality disorders.
Again, this in no way means I don’t value the work of life coaches and spiritual advisors. I actually do appreciate what they may offer their clients. But I am keenly aware that these disciplines are not trained in psychotherapeutic process or psychopathology. Be a wise consumer and explore your options before establishing your path to healing in, or from, intimate partner abuse.
For more information about healing interventions for domestic violence and narcissistic abuse, visit https://innersanctuaryonline.org/spousal-abuse-help/ Dr. Jeanne King, PhD has helped people nationwide to heal in and from intimate partner abuse.
© Jeanne King, Ph.D. — Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention