Relabeling in paradoxical intervention is about ...

• A. Recasting a negative behavior in a positive light to get an emotional response
• B. Removing reinforcement of the behavior
• C. Scheduling a period of silence
• D. Encouraging avoidance of the behavior

Answer: (A)

Relabeling in paradoxical intervention involves reframing a client’s problem behavior by giving it a positive or different meaning, with the goal of influencing emotion and motivation enough to unlock change. By recasting a negative behavior in a constructive light, the therapist invites the client to experience the behavior in a new way—often generating an emotional response that reduces resistance and opens up new patterns of thinking or action. This aligns with the paradoxical approach, where changing the meaning of the behavior can itself prompt change. The option describes this reframing to evoke an emotional response, which is the essence of relabeling. The other strategies—eliminating reinforcement, scheduling silence, or prompting avoidance—are not about changing the meaning of the behavior through positive reinterpretation.