Chantal Blanco, a psychologist who seeks the fastest possible change

Brief strategic therapy, courageous decisions, and a focus on what truly blocks the problem

"Brief and strategic interventions that help unlock the patient's problem in the shortest possible time."

Chantal Blanco is a psychologist specializing in brief strategic intervention, an approach based on a very specific idea: understanding what maintains the problem is the gateway to producing change. It's not about prolonging therapeutic processes, but about being precise: identifying what is blocking the person and working directly on that.

In this Eholo Voices interview, Chantal shares how she decided to open her own practice, what inspires her as a professional, and how she envisions psychology in the coming years.

Precision, not less therapy

Chantal's approach is sometimes misunderstood. Brief therapy doesn't mean superficial therapy; it means well-directed therapy. The central idea, which she draws from figures like Watzlawick, Weakland, and Fisch, is that many problems are maintained by the very solutions the person has unsuccessfully tried to apply. The therapeutic work involves identifying that pattern and breaking it.

That same logic is what Chantal applies to her own life, not just in her practice.

"If something doesn't work, change the strategy."

A phrase she learned during her training in the Master's in Brief Strategic Therapy and says she applies both in therapy and in her daily life.

The biggest challenge… and the best moment

The most significant challenge in Chantal's career wasn't clinical; it was a decision. Committing to her own practice, leaving behind the security of other work formats, and trusting that she could live exclusively from her practice as a psychologist.

"The biggest challenge was committing to my professional autonomy and trusting that I could live exclusively from my practice. Family support was crucial in taking that step."

And the best moments, Chantal says, have always come right after decisions of that kind.

"The best moments have always come after courageous decisions. Changes are uncomfortable, but in my case, they have always been the engine of growth."

Simplifying management to return to what's important

For someone whose therapeutic approach is based on efficiency and focus, it makes sense that practice management operates with the same logic.

"Eholo has allowed me to simplify practice management, leave paper behind, and focus on what's truly important: therapeutic work."

Less time on administrative tasks, more time on what truly matters.

The future: intervening better, not intervening less

Chantal has a clear vision of where the profession is headed, and it's directly connected to her way of working.

"Brief therapies will shape the future of the profession. It's not about intervening less, but about intervening better: with strategic precision, efficiency, and a focus on the core of the problem. The goal is to alleviate distress in the shortest possible time, by unlocking what maintains it."

A psychology that doesn't measure its value by the duration of the process, but by the clarity with which it addresses what's truly happening.

Imagining the practice five years from now

The practice Chantal envisions five years from now is a sharper version of what she has today: more precision, more agility, less noise.

"I imagine a practice where the work is increasingly precise and agile, deeply focused on activating people's resources. Less noise, more focus, and clear, sustainable changes."

Activating the resources the person already possesses, instead of adding unnecessary layers to the process.

Inspiration and influences

📚 Book that changed her perspective — Change: Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution, by Paul Watzlawick, John Weakland, and Richard Fisch. "It establishes a key idea in my practice: understanding what maintains the problem is the gateway to producing change. It lays the groundwork for brief strategic intervention."

💭 If she weren't a psychologist… — "I would probably be in the field of music. I'm interested in how it immediately connects with emotions and mobilizes change processes. Ultimately, it's not that far from therapy."

💬 Quote that shaped her life — "If something isn't working, change your strategy. I learned this when I studied for my Master's in Brief Strategic Therapy, and it's an idea I apply both in my life and in therapy."

🍽 Dream dinner — With Milton Erickson. "He was a brilliant therapist, tremendously creative and groundbreaking in his approach, capable of seeing solutions where others only saw problems. Being able to have a conversation with him would be an incredible opportunity to learn directly from his wisdom and strategic vision."

Learn more about Chantal

🔗 chantalblanco.cat