title: Compliance, defiance, and therapeutic paradox: guidelines for strategic use of paradoxical interventions.
abstract: Strategies and tactics in apparent opposition to desired therapeutic goals are discussed in the context of brief problems-focused therapy. Two types of paradoxical intervention are differentiated: in one, change follows from attempted compliance with a therapeutic directive; in the other, change follows from defiance. Brehm's reactance theory and the Palo Alto brief therapy model offer guidelines for the use of such strategies.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001348:Aversive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005794:Generalization, Response; D005795:Generalization, Stimulus; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000628:therapy