Paradoxical techniques in psychotherapy have been criticized for being manipulative and disrespectful. Feminist therapy theory, with its explicit analysis of the issue of power in therapy, provides an ideal framework from which to address the use of paradox. This article examines both theoretical and practical aspects of the use of paradox in psychotherapy and presents a feminist model for implementing paradoxical techniques. Paradox is conceptualized as an alliance with the client. An "open paradox" is suggested, in which the therapist gives the client information about paradox and collaborates with the client in designing the intervention.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.