how to address possible resistance to treatment

What is resistance in therapy and how to address it?

Nov 19, 2018 · The resistance should be actively discussed with the client, without judgment or surprise. Issues contributing to client resistance may include fears of failure or the fear of terminating therapy.

How do you deal with a client with resistance?

Your client misses a series of sessions in quick succession and may have legitimate excuses for the cancellations (e.g., being asked to work extra shifts). / Affirm that you recognize the validity of the explanations the client has for missing (e.g., “I understand that this is a …

What are the most common types of resistance filled situations in therapy?

Jun 17, 2020 · Last update: 17 June, 2020. Resistance in therapy refers to patient attitudes, behaviors, or cognitions that may delay or avoid therapeutic change. Usually, it’s present during the first stages of evaluation because that’s where the client may begin to question the treatment. In addition to this, they may refuse to speak sincerely or answer ...

How do you deal with realistic resistance to internalizing?

How To Address Resistance in Therapy? Go With The Resistance: Paradoxical Intervention. One of the most effective methods to deal with resistant clients is to... Confront the Resistance, But Don’t Fight It.. Actively fighting resistance is an approach …

How do you address resistance in therapy?

What are some techniques you can use to overcome client resistance?

How can you most effectively deal with resistance?

Why is it important to address resistance in counseling?

How can you help a client overcome resistance to change?

How do you build rapport with resistant clients?

What is resistance in person centered therapy?

How do you counsel a difficult client?

How do you deal with resistance in family therapy?

How do you engage involuntary clients?

What is resistance in therapy?

Resistance to the therapist’s general approach to therapy (e.g., involving discrepancies in general expectancies and/or objectives for treatment) Resistance to specific in-session techniques (e.g., session structure, particular interventions, etc.) Resistance to words or phrases used by the therapist. Although a strong working alliance tends ...

What is psychological resistance?

Sigmund Freud originally described psychological resistance as a phenomenon wherein patients unconsciously “cling to their disease” through “tenacious” and “critical objections” in order to repress distressing thoughts, emotions and experiences as they are raised by the therapist (Freud, 1904; 1920; 1940).

What is realistic resistance?

Broadly defined, realistic resistance refers to clients’ conscious, deliberate opposition to therapeutic initiatives that they fail to understand or accept.

What is resistance in therapy?

Resistance in therapy refers to patient attitudes, behaviors, or cognitions that may delay or avoid therapeutic change. Usually, it’s present during the first stages of evaluation because that’s where the client may begin to question the treatment. In addition to this, they may refuse to speak sincerely or answer the therapist’s questions politely.

Can you postpone treatment?

However, many patients can’t postpone treatment due to the nature of their difficulties, so keep that in mind. The ultimate goal will always be to offer the client the most appropriate, effective, and useful therapy according to their issue.

Can a therapist stop the therapeutic process?

Undoubtedly, therapists can put a stop to the therapeutic process if they don’t think it’s profitable for the client anymore. However, considering the client’s resistance the reason why they can’t be treated or assuming they don’t want to get better because of it is completely wrong.

Why is self-record important?

Self-records are essential for clinical practice, there’s no doubt about that. However, many patients can’t postpone treatment due to the nature of their difficulties, so keep that in mind. The ultimate goal will always be to offer the client the most appropriate, effective, and useful therapy according to their issue.

Who created resistance in therapy?

The idea of resistance in therapy is complicated. It was originally created as a psychoanalytic concept by Sigmund Freud, who believed it was an unconscious opposition to revealing memories in psychoanalysis (Psychoanalytic Terms & Concepts Defined, n.d.). In more general terms, resistance is thought of as anything that stops therapeutic change.

What does it mean when a client doesn't do homework?

In many forms of psychotherapy it is popular to give homework. A telltale sign of resistance is a client who does not complete their homework or follow up on your suggestions. In order for therapy to be successful, a client needs to at least think about what was discussed in session in their daily life. Not doing homework is a sign they are forgetting about the session as soon as it is over.

Is it rare to have a silent session?

Although complete silence is a rare occurrence, it is not unusual to find a client that gives short answers and has difficulty opening up.

What does it mean when a client is not making progress?

When you feel like a client is not making progress, it is a sign of resistance. They may come in regularly but they keep having the same experiences and don’t show improvement.

Do clients cancel sessions?

Almost all clients cancel a session from time to time, but when a pattern develops it is a worrisome sign. Someone who is motivated to change will make attending sessions a priority.

How to manage resistance in therapy

website builder Children with severe trauma and attachment wounds are typically angry, oppositional and defiant, mistrustful, contemptuous of authority, and lack genuine and caring relationships. It is not surprising, therefore, that they are extremely resistant to therapy and therapeutic relationships.

4 Comments

There has to be a point where the therapist has to admit if the child is resisting therapy it needs to stop. Some people have more problems with therapy due to the second guessing and misinterpretation by the therapist. For example my kids therapist was telling me to ignore his bad behavior and it would stop.

A dose of reality

Wubbolding uses a reality therapy approach to reduce resistance. “The counselor needs to help (clients) see that their resistance is not to their advantage,” he says.

A two-way street

Newer definitions of resistance empower counselors to exert more control and influence over the situation, Mitchell says, but these definitions also place great responsibility on practitioners to keep things moving forward. “If you feel your client is resisting you, you also must be resisting your client,” Mitchell says. “Resistance goes two ways.

Quick tips

Counseling Today asked Mitchell and Wubbolding to weigh in with their best recommendations for managing resistance in the counseling relationship.

How do counselors contribute to client resistance?

Counselors, both consciously and unconsciously, contribute to client resistance. Counselors may have failed to establish rapport with their client. They may have misguided expectations of client behavior and client roles. The counselor may expect the client to respond in a particular way, and when they do not respond accordingly they assume the client is being resistant. The interventions and techniques used by counselors also may contribute to in-session resistance. Counselors need to be cognizant of the interventions they use, ensuring that they are appropriate for their client in the given moment. Similarly, counselors should only assign homework assignments that are relevant to the issue at hand and that are not too time consuming for the client.

What is client resistance?

Client resistance is one of many clinical challenges counselors regularly face. Counselors should understand that resistance is a normal client reaction. Its presence in session should be expected and not come as a surprise. Once counselors become familiar with resistance and what it looks like they can begin to see it for its true therapeutic value. Client resistance usually signifies that a particularly distressing issue has been brought to the forefront for the client. This issue might be central to the work both counselor and client are trying to achieve. Rather than avoiding the issue, researchers suggest that client resistance should be addressed. Counselors need to employ a variety of strategies to productively use the client’s resistance to move therapy forward. Newman (1994) highlights ten strategies proven to be effective in working with resistant clients. These strategies include:

What is response content resistance?

Response content resistance is a client’s attempt to restrict or control the type of information communicated to the counselor. This may manifest itself in several different forms. Often times, clients engage in small talk about irrelevant topics, such as gossip or rumors. Clients may engage in intellectual talk by repeatedly using technical terms and abstract concepts during the counseling session. There may be an emotional display (e.g., anger outburst, crying) in reaction to a counseling topic. Clients may ask a series of meaningless questions about counseling techniques or theories that have no relevance to the issue currently being discussed. They also may ruminate about physical problems or past mistakes or show a preoccupation with past events. These forms of client resistance block the counselor-client communication by manipulating the kind of information to be shared with the counselor. As a result, counselors are unable to gain a firm grasp on the nature of the client’s problems, making case conceptualization cumbersome.

What is a vistas online?

VISTAS Online is an innovative publication produced for the American Counseling Association by Dr. Garry R. Walz and Dr. Jeanne C. Bleuer of Counseling Outfitters, LLC. Its purpose is to provide a means of capturing the ideas, information and experiences generated by the annual ACA Conference and selected ACA Division Conferences. Papers on a program or practice that has been validated through research or experience may also be submitted. This digital collection of peer-reviewed articles is authored by counselors, for counselors. VISTAS Online contains the full text of over 500 proprietary counseling articles published from 2004 to present.