Abstract

The goal of the present work was to provide an integrative and systematic organization of the paradoxical literature addressing specific questions as to the nature of paradox and how it works, how it is implemented and under what conditions, and to what client populations it is appropriate. Five problem behaviors that have been frequently and effectively treated by paradoxical means were closely inspected. The author concluded that the apparent variety of paradoxical interventions were reducible to but two: symptom prescription and restraining. All others seem to be variations on these two themes. The author also concluded that paradox is not only in the eye of the beholder, but in the frame of mind of the culture, and that paradox exists because the culture has created a need for or a place for paradox. Hence paradox becomes an indispensable component of reality until the culture puts on "a new pair of glasses" and perceives the world differently. This was compared to the shift in physics from Newtonian mechanics to quantum mechanics. The ethical and professional issues involved in the use of a paradoxical approach were discussed. The author offered guidelines for the training of the clinician and for the implementation of paradoxical interventions