PARADOXICAL INTERVENTIONS

1
PARADOXICAL INTERVENTIONS

• Manipulative or Empathic?

2

• Menos de lo mismo
• Sugerencias y directivas
• Tareas
• Excepciones
• Escalas
• Pregunta del milagro
• Enfoque en el futuro
• Desenmarcado y Reenmarcado cognitivo
• Intervención en pautas de comportamiento
• Analogía
• Paradoja
• Intervenciones Estructurales Familiares
• Uso de Genogramas

3
What are they?

• One communication inserted in another framing
  communication that contradicts the first one,
  bringing forth a cognitive / emotional /
  behavioral dilemma
• To comply with one, you have to disobey the other
  one
• They are also interventions that, with the intent
  to help, contain an explicit message of worsening
  or continuing on with the symptom

4
What's the logic?

• It puts forth to the client the dilemma of
  voluntary behaving in a way that is thought to be
  involuntary for him
• It induces insight to the personal function of
  the symptom and its secondary gains
• The client can now Take control of the symptom

5
Types

• Based on obedience A continuation or increase of
  the symptom is asked for directly (Low
  opposition, external locus of control)
• Based on defiance It is anticipated that the
  client will defy the therapist's request
  renouncing then, to the symptomatic behavior
  (High opposition, internal locus of control)

6
Classification

• Prescription Prescribing the symptom
• Restriction Discouraging change, or denying the
  possibility that it can happen
• Positioning Taking on a position of
  pseudocomprehension about the client's problem,
  usually exaggerating it (see argument
  colonization)

7
Argument Colonization

• Empathically taking hold of the arguments against
  change (without lying).
• Letting the client suggest their own arguments
  (Yes, but...)
• Reinforcing the arguments conducive to positive
  change

8
Indications

• Phobias and obsessions
• Tics
• Jealousy
• Headaches
• Temper tantrums
• Anorexic or Schizophrenic Families

9
Contraindications

• Families that are responsible and open to change
• Families with little structure
• Immature families searching for parental figures
• Impulsive and hostile families
• People not involved in therapy
• Paranoids
• Potentially destructive

10
Ethical matters

• CRITICISMS
• Manipulative
• Controlling
• Dishonest
• Potentially dangerous

• DEFFENSES
• In every intervention there is a manipulation
• Instead of ignoring this manipulation, we are
  using it for the client's benefit
• Patients usually allocate their benefits within
  themselves
• There haven't been any reports where this
  techniques have worsened a client's condition

11
THE END