The technique of paradoxical intention, what is it and when used

Can you imagine facing your worst fears, precisely to solve them? Or doing everything opposed to what you would normally do before a conflict to solve it? Maybe it is strange to you, but that's what the technique of paradoxical intentions points.

In this article we will address this popular technique in therapeutic interventions focused on producing a behavioral modification. If you want to know what it is about, what is effective and how to apply it, then keep reading.

Content

• What implies the technique of paradoxical intention?
  • Goals
• Application of the technique of paradoxical intention: 4 steps
  • 1. First, evaluate the problem
  • 2. Second step, provide a new meaning to the symptom
  • 3. Third step, apply the changes
  • 4. Fourth step, identify the changes obtained
• Paradoxical intervention, an effective technique, but with limitations
  • Bibliographic resources

What implies the technique of paradoxical intention?

Having its origin in the logotherapy for the treatment of phobias, the paradoxical intention was developed in the context of Viktor and Viktor and Logotherapy. Frankl. This intervention has been especially disseminated thanks to the popularity that cognitive behavioral therapy has gained at this time, which places the technique of paradoxical intention among one of its most relevant resources.

A paradox, in case you do not know, is the opposite of what is considered true. It implies the use of contradictory expressions, and this technique was baptized in this way thanks to the fact that aims to confront someone's common sense. Said in a simple way, it points to incite the patient to allow something to fear. In addition, in this technique, the patient is asked to magnify his symptoms, to make him take distance in front of them and evaluate in a more objective way the pessimistic consequences he imagines.

Its main axis is the contradiction, and, based on it, it seeks to get the patient to distance themselves from what he feels, worries and alters him. To be able to perform another analysis of the situation.

Main types of psychological therapy or psychotherapy in psychology

Goals

As already advanced, the central objective of this technique specially applied in cognitive behavioral therapy is to generate a change regarding people's attitudes in a situation that generates discomfort. Facing them in the opposite way that they would normally use with the problem that are presented to them, proposes to solve conflicts, to evaluate the situation from another angle.

The idea is to affect the normal behavior of a person, modifying what in common circumstances would do to, from that change, solve what acongo it, generates discomfort and discomfort.

We will give an example to illustrate you better about the technique. Through this psychotherapeutic technique, someone whom he has phobia of blood, he would be proposed to be exposed to this stimulus that generates fear. Thus, at the time of an extraction for a routine control, instead of looking towards the side for the fear that the situation generates, this person would be asked to observe the frightening stimulus (the syringe with blood, in this occasion), to allow you to evaluate the situation in another way and face it with the conflict for resolution.

Application of the technique of paradoxical intention: 4 steps

In order to apply this therapeutic technique, the first thing that is requested to the patient is stop your desire to control the problem. It is indicated that he leaves his intention for taking control of the situation (which has clearly worked so far), encouraging him to let their problems appear and (if possible) to exaggerate them, take them to the extreme.

Having agreed with the patient, and having explained what he should do and how he will have to modify his will to make the technique of paradoxical intention effective, a sequence of steps will be followed that we will detail below.

1. First, evaluate the problem

This first step consists in identifying the problem and, punctually, the techniques that people have been applying to solve them. Identify what they have done in their attempts to solve the problem is crucial, because it will work on this.

2. Second step, provide a new meaning to the symptom

The redefinition of the symptom is the second step in this technique of paradoxical intention. I could imply this action, for example, try to identify the advantages of the symptoms in case you have them, also attribute to what could be due, search among the patient's memories when and why it was first given.

3. Third step, apply the changes

Depending on what the patient has done so far to solve the issue, he is indicated.

4. Fourth step, identify the changes obtained

At this point, the therapist will evaluate together with the patient what modifications regarding the problem have been observed, if he changed the way he feels about it. Anyway, what can say that it occurred in a different way from the beginning of the treatment.

In the event that an improvement has been evidenced in the patient, and the symptoms have decreased (or at best, missing) the treatment will stop by passing to a supervision stage. If, on the contrary, the symptoms have not been altered, then the procedure will have to.

Paradoxical intervention, an effective technique, but with limitations

The technique of paradoxical intervention has proven to be effective, especially in the treatment of compulsive habits such as onycophagy (compulsion to bite the nails), cases of severe insomnia and phobias. However, to obtain its benefits it is necessary to have creativity and, above all, a patient open to expose the conflict In a way as direct as the proposal, this factor is one of the most difficult to achieve. But, once the treatment has been running, he has shown extensive effectiveness.

We hope from this article it has been possible to understand what paradoxical intervention is, how to apply the technique and its purpose. Dare to face your fears or obsessions with this effective therapeutic technique, you will not regret it!

Bibliographic resources

• Álvarez Velásquez, J. G. (2014). Paradoxical intention technique. Professional Area I: Clinical Psychology.
• Frankl, v. (2003). The paradoxical intention. The paradoxical intention, 63-72.
• Gerz, h. EITHER. (2010). The treatment of the phobic and obsessive-compulsive patient with the use of paradoxical intention according to Viktor and. Frankl. The treatment of the phobic and obsessive-compulsive patient with the use of paradoxical intention according to Viktor and. Frankl, 199-220.
• Nevárez, j. C., & Durango, D. (2009). The paradoxical intention.