Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Paradox in psychotherapy: a cybernetic perspective.

J S Efran, G C Caputo

    Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
    |September 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary

    Psychotherapy, including behavior therapy, is inherently paradoxical due to self-evaluation. Effective therapy hinges on the therapist-client relationship and negotiated social contracts, not just techniques.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine after renal transplant in children.

    Journal of clinical pharmacology·1996
    Same author

    Patterns of children's coping with an aversive dental treatment.

    Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·1995
    Same author

    Evaluation of a simple office-based strategy for increasing influenza vaccine administration and the effect of differing reimbursement plans on the patient acceptance rate.

    Journal of general internal medicine·1994
    Same author

    Variability of venous-hemodynamics with daily activity.

    Journal of vascular surgery·1994
    Same author

    Source of Pseudomonas cepacia: ribotyping of isolates from patients and from the environment.

    The Journal of pediatrics·1993
    Same author

    Evaluation of OKT3 monoclonal antibody and anti-thymocyte globulin in the treatment of steroid-resistant acute allograft rejection in pediatric renal transplants.

    Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany)·1993
    JoVE
    x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
    ABOUT JoVE
    OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
    AUTHORS
    Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
    LIBRARIANS
    TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
    RESEARCH
    JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
    EDUCATION
    JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
    Terms & Conditions of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Policies

    Area of Science:

    • Psychology
    • Psychotherapy Research
    • Behavioral Science

    Background:

    • The term "paradox" in psychotherapy often narrows focus.
    • Self-evaluation's recursive nature implies all therapy is paradoxical.
    • Agoraphobia is characterized by a demand for environmental control.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To explore the broader implications of paradox in psychotherapy.
    • To reframe behavior therapy within a relational and contractual framework.
    • To highlight the significance of the therapist-client dyad.

    Main Methods:

    • Conceptual analysis of "paradox" in psychotherapy.
    • Illustrative case example using agoraphobia.
    • Examination of the therapist-client relationship as a "bonding of two observers".

    Main Results:

    • Therapy's effectiveness relies on the negotiated social contract between therapist and client.
    • Even seemingly automatic behavioral techniques are embedded within this contract.
    • The client-as-observer and therapist-as-observer relationship is crucial.

    Conclusions:

    • All psychotherapy, including behavior therapy, is fundamentally paradoxical.
    • The therapeutic relationship and negotiated agreements are paramount to successful outcomes.
    • Behavior therapy is defined by its context within a social contract.

    Related Experiment Videos