Reverse Psychology - The Paradoxical Intervention

The Paradoxical Intervention

Closely associated with reverse psychology in psychotherapy is the technique of 'the Paradoxical intervention....This technique has also been called "prescribing the symptom" and "antisuggestion"'. Here the technique employed is to frame the therapist's 'message so that resistance to it promotes change (i.e. paradoxical prescriptions, reverse psychology)'.

Such interventions 'can have a similar impact as humor in helping clients cast their problems in a new light....By going with, not against, the client's resistance, the therapist makes the behavior less attractive'.

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