*About Paradox Psychology-
Paradox psychology is about the art and science of ‘miraculous change.’
‘Miraculous’- how’s that for a “politically incorrect” word?! You might get the impression that ‘somehow G-d is involved’ … and you might be right! By the way, the word ‘miraculous’ is not my invention. This is a word that has been used in the literature to describe the work of Menuchin, M. Erikson and others who have consistently used the method with great success.
Admittedly, if you come from the current psychology world split between behavioral, cognitive, and psycho-dynamic methods, the word ‘miraculous’ may seem a bit “Barnum & Bailey.”
… And yet, ‘miraculous’ is exactly what we are here to explore.
To be fair, maybe the word ‘miraculous’ is not fully accurate. After all, ‘miraculous’ usually refers to something that is beyond understanding or replication. However, here the purpose is to bring the art and science of miraculous change ‘down-to-earth’. The intent is to convey the paradoxical process through theory, practice, and treatment in a way that allows clinicians to access the depth of this truly powerful approach.
While the content of this work is geared toward service providers (psychologists, social workers and other mental health professionals), those who are ‘interested spectators’ are also welcome to enter the intriguing and thought provoking world of paradox psychology. Paradoxical interventions which are the techniques based on the ideas from paradox psychology are generally counter-intuitive to ‘conventional wisdom.’ For this reason, such interventions have a reputation for being controversial.
However, by offering a viable theoretical base that shows the underlying reasoning and behind the approach, it will be possible to recognize how this method is more dynamic and encompassing than behavioral, cognitive, or psychodynamic methods.
It’s not that behavioral, cognitive, and psycho-dynamic methods don’t have an important place in treatment. On the contrary, these methods are useful when working with those motivated to change; people who are invested in getting their life on track. However methods that are useful with the ‘motivated client’ are often irrelevant when it comes to working with the treatment-resistant client. In this regard, a review of the research specifically names paradoxical interventions as having the highest success rate when addressing treatment resistance.
Master clinicians who employed paradoxical interventions gained a reputation for achieving ‘miraculous’ results. These clinicians included: Alfred Adler, Milton Erikson, Victor Frankl, Jay Haley, Salvador Minuchin, Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir, and others.
However, while the method was known to be effective, the problem has always been in conveying “why it works.” Previously the theoretical mechanism has remained a ‘mystery.’ Over the last several decades as ‘evidence-based treatment’ became more of a priority, the paradoxical method’s lack of theoretical clarity made it’s use less desirable. While some clinicians still dabble in the paradoxical approach, it is mostly considered the “method of last resort when all else has failed.”
The innovation of this work is that the ‘theoretical mystery’ has been solved. Within a simple and encompassing theory based upon ‘orbits-gravity phenomena’, it becomes possible to concisely explain the mechanism behind paradoxical interventions.
www.ParadoxPsychology.com EPK Revised: 1-15-12