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a fear offlying, a fear ofheights, stuttering, a fear ofelevatorridingarid a fear of
crowded streets(Guttmann 1996:78-84).
Paradoxical intention is a technique, to use military terminology, that can be recruited
to make war on people's fears. However, in this war the weapon is offensive, not de­
fensive! Itis essentially a modification ofattitudes centeredon a symptom. How­
ever, clientslpatients mustknow that self-distancing is essential to achievethe desired
aim. Clients need to be tanghtto use their defiant power ofthe humanspirit, so that
insteadof beinghelpless victims oftheir fate, they wouldbecome the captainsof
their own emotions by their will power. The important role ofman's will cannot and
mustnot be underestimated.
One outstanding feature ofthis technique is that a person/patient/client takes
responsibility for their own recovery. A stand is taken, a deed done to act and to
eliminate the feared symptoms. When clientsindeeddo what is explained, change
their attitudes, andpractice as they are instructed, they gain a new sense ofself It is
because of this "new sense ofself' that this methodhas such a long-lasting effect on
a client's/patient's behaviorafterhe/she has receivedtreatment. Lukas (1986:77), for
example, told a woman who fearedcrowded streets,that she has the abilityto think,
to act, to pian and to decide. She did this so that the womanwith this specificfear
couldsee the separation betweenhealth and exaggerated feelings offear and
obsession.
In the lightofwhat has been said it becomesclear that paradoxical intention as a
technique is based on the mobilization ofan individual's sense ofhumorand the
defiantpowerofthe human spirit to countera problem in living. Breakingthe
patternoffear by an exaggerated wishfor the very samethingthat is feared, and
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