title: The Greek chorus and other techniques of paradoxical therapy.
abstract: This paper has described some of the interventions developed at the Ackerman Brief Therapy Project in treating the families of symptomatic children. The interventions are based upon a differential diagnosis of the family system and upon an evaluation of that system's resistance to change. They are classified as compliance-based or defiance-based, depending upon the family's degree of anxiety, motivation, and resistance. Paradoxical interventions, which are defiance-based, are used as a clinical tool in dealing with resistance and circumventing the power struggle between therapist and family. A consultation group acting as a Greek chorus underlines the therapist's interventions and comments on the consequences of systemic change. This group is also sometimes used to form a therapeutic triangle among the family, therapist and group, with the therapist and group debating over the family's ability to change.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D011616:Psychotherapy, Multiple / Q000379:methods*