Paradoxical intervention strategies typically involve what?

• A. Direct confrontation of feelings
• B. Involve the use of the client's disruptive behavior as a treatment itself
• C. Classic cognitive restructuring
• D. Ignoring the client's behavior

Answer: (B)

Paradoxical intervention strategies work by turning the problem behavior into the tool of change, using what the client is doing as part of the treatment itself. Instead of trying to suppress or confront the behavior head-on, the therapist leverages it to reveal its impact, increase self-awareness, and reduce resistance. By allowing or guiding the client to continue the disruptive behavior in a controlled way or reframing the behavior as something that can be managed, the client often gains a sense of mastery and sees the limits of the symptom, which can prompt change.

Direct confrontation of feelings focuses on challenging emotions directly, which is a more traditional psychotherapeutic technique. Classic cognitive restructuring targets distorted thoughts and beliefs, a staple of CBT. Ignoring the client's behavior would be avoidance and does not engage the client in a therapeutic process.