Which technique is associated with indirect change and is highlighted by Wubbolding?

Which technique is associated with indirect change and is highlighted by Wubbolding?

• A. Paradox
• B. Experimentation
• C. Homework
• D. Modeling

Answer: (A)

Paradoxical interventions use indirect change to shift how a client relates to their problem. In this approach, the therapist gives a directive that runs counter to what the client would normally do or invites them to approach the issue in a counterintuitive way. The goal is to loosen resistance, raise awareness of personal choice, and motivate change by making the client evaluate their own control in the present moment. Wubbolding highlights this technique because it reframes the problem rather than directly prescribing a solution, helping clients see and own the responsibility for change. Other techniques are more direct: homework assigns tasks to do between sessions; modeling shows new behaviors to imitate; experimentation involves trying out new strategies in a straightforward way. Paradox stands out because it achieves change indirectly by altering the client’s perspective and sense of agency.

Paradoxical interventions use indirect change to shift how a client relates to their problem. In this approach, the therapist gives a directive that runs counter to what the client would normally do or invites them to approach the issue in a counterintuitive way. The goal is to loosen resistance, raise awareness of personal choice, and motivate change by making the client evaluate their own control in the present moment. Wubbolding highlights this technique because it reframes the problem rather than directly prescribing a solution, helping clients see and own the responsibility for change.

Other techniques are more direct: homework assigns tasks to do between sessions; modeling shows new behaviors to imitate; experimentation involves trying out new strategies in a straightforward way. Paradox stands out because it achieves change indirectly by altering the client’s perspective and sense of agency.