Reaching Through Resistance

About half of all psychotherapy clients have little to no response—or can even worsen—in treatment. Why? They unknowingly use treatment-defeating behaviors, or resistances, that prevent emotional closeness and successful collaboration with the therapist.Reaching through Resistance will help you • detect treatment resistance from the first client contact • understand the emotional factors behind resistance • discern various degrees and forms of resistance • recognize signs of anxiety in the body • activate and monitor unprocessed, unconscious impulses and feelings • turn a client against his/her long-held defeating behaviors • regulate intense anxiety when emotions are activated • mobilize the client's unconscious wish to become well • recognize signs of a powerful healing force: the unconscious therapeutic alliance By detecting avoidance patterns and using specific interventions developed to handle them, you can empower a collaborative, vigorous treatment alliance with your client.