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The Effective Use Of Confrontation In Family Therapy: A Process Study, Timothy Michael Digiacomo

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Although contemporary practitioners have rejected the confrontational style and perceived aggressiveness of earlier family therapists in favor of a more "collaborative" stance, confrontation, as a technique, is still widely used in almost all forms of psychotherapy, including family therapy. The present process study explored what makes confrontation more or less effective in motivating clients to recognize and reevaluate counterproductive ways of interacting. Using videotaped family therapy sessions, confrontation clarity, emotional reactivity, and the use of suggestion were examined in relation to client levels of acceptance of confrontation immediately following the confrontation, as well as in relation to overall …