1. Challenging Clients:
Fostering Change

2. Rationale for Challenge
Recognize maladaptive feelings, motives, and desire.
Awareness of Ambivalent feelings
Not taking responsibility for actions
Reduce Denial, Displacement, Rationalization, Projection, Sublimation
Understand self more deeply

3. Psychodynamic Approach
Challenge before Interpretation:
Defenses must be confronted and lowered for an interpretation to create an “Aha!” moment
Why may that be?
How do defenses get in the way of insight?

4. Gentle Challenge: Note Discrepancies Group Exercise: create a client scenario reflecting each type
Contradictory Statement (say you enjoy your family and also state you can’t be around them very long)
Actions contradict words (claim to have high self worth but engage in self- destructive behaviors)
Contradictory feelings (Middle school girl states she hates a boy that she can’t stop following around)
Values and Behaviors (greed is a moral sin, yet enjoy expensive hobbies)
Self-view and Real Self (low self-worth yet thought of highly in community)

5. Challenging Thoughts
Cognitive Theory: Irrational thoughts and beliefs source of maladaptation
Challenge erroneous thoughts
Challenge illogical thoughts
Complication: Beware not to turn therapy session into a debate or argument.
Why?

6. Challenge: Gestalt Approach
Two Chair technique: clarifies inner conflict, contractor views and feelings
Group Exercise: work through a discrepancy pattern noted in earlier exercise
(In mock dyad session)
Empty Chair technique: Express unspoken thoughts and feelings; clarity in process
Group Exercise: Jeffery Case- address unspoken issue with Mom, and with Dad.

7. Responses to Challenges
Client Denies challenge
Use socratic approach
No Reaction
Assess reason for resistance to therapist (therapeutic relationship)
Client accepts aspects of challenge
Client responds with new awareness