Biosynthesis is a somatic psychotherapy. It is a holistic approach of the human being that unites the cognitive, somatic and spiritual aspects in search for essential being.
It is developed by David Boadella based on the work of Freudian therapists, Wilhelm Reich and Alexander Lowen. There is also a strong influence from several pre-natal psychologists and neurological scientists. Sylvia Specht brought in the energetic flow work based on the philosophy by Bob Moore.
Essential somatic coaching has the same basic influences.
Next to that, there are influences from postmodern philosophers and transpersonal psychologists like Ken Wilber, Thomas Moore, Stephen Levine and Zen teachers like Osho. Mindfulness, an important tool in ESC, derived from the ancient Za-Zen mediation technique.
ESC is open to enrichment from other techniques and philosophies as long as they are not redundant.
Why ESC when Biosynthesis already has such a complete vision of the human being?
For that, we have to look at global development. The main keyword for our time is probably, ‘Efficiency’. People ask for focused and short-term processes. Their agendas are full and everyday they try to get the most from life. With the industrial revolution that started in the 19th century, everything changed in the world. Psychology and psychotherapy developed as a logical result because there was a need for them; nowadays they are fully integrated in our way of living.
In the end of 20th century, computers changed our lifestyle dramatically. The modern human starts to think digitally in a partial virtual world. This has a huge effect on how we experience the world and what we want from it.
Here we have to look at the differences between therapy and coaching.
The main difference is that therapy pretends to help you integrate the Past into the Present. Understanding your past makes you realize why you live your life the way you do. You become aware of patrons and central motivations, and then you can change them where necessary.
In general, this is a long and profound process. It is intense and in the end gratifying and will change the foundations of your life.
No doubt, it takes a lot of time and is therefore costly.
Not everybody wants to spend so much money or commit to a process that often takes years. Today, people want solutions, focused and quick, they want to move on with their lives.
Here Essential Somatic Coaching has an important role because its core is preparing you or the near future. It is structured, focused and clear where therapy is often strolling through the darkness of your Soul without knowing what the next step will be.
Do not get me wrong because I do not intend to say that one is better than the other is.
They are just different approaches and it is very likely that who started with therapy at a certain moment wants to develop clear tools to handle the near future while those that achieved these tools through coaching may want to explore their deeper motivations and get a better understanding of their foundations in life.
It is a matter of priorities.
(to be continued)
