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something about hislher situation. This "something" must be "meaningful"and
"constructive." There is no room for the proverbial"l-feel-sorry-for-you"attitude
that manytherapiststry to convey. Although empathyis shown,the client/patient is
directedtowards decision-making and a "getting into action." Action speaks louder
than words, is perhaps a good description ofwhat paradoxicalintentionintends to do.
It is safe to say that therapistswho make use ofparadoxicalintentionare people who
inter alia often movevery close to William Glasser's reality therapy (Glasser 1975:9­
10; 1980:48-60 & Ras 1998:115-125). Although Glasser's three "R's", namely,
"reality", "responsibility" and "right-and-wrong" are used in a differentsense, the
terms "reality" and especially"responsibility"also operate in logotherapeutic circles.
A person is very often confrontedto face "reality" and to take "responsibi-lity" for
his/her own life/affairs. You are responsible! In this sense, therapists ofparadoxical
intention and those usingreality therapy, meet on commongrounds.
Free association is not used in paradoxicalintention. Logotherapists almost imme­
diatelyfocus on the exact problem. In short, they will ask a patient/clientwhat is his!
her problemand then after identifying the symptoms, they will try to redirect the
thoughts ofthe client/patient. The closest that psychoanalysts come to those using
paradoxical intention, is throughusing "emotionalreeducation" where patients are
encouragedto converttheir newly intellectual insightsinto everyday living. Emotio­
nal reeducationis the final step, after the implementation ofother psychoanalytic
assessmenttechniques such as free association,interpretation ofresistance, dream
analysis and analysisoftransference(Hjelle & Ziegler 1992:120-125).
Erich Fromm's humanistic personological point ofview with its special emphasis
that a person must be understood in the light of"cultural forces" existing at a
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