Provocative Therapy: Provocative Therapy in Australia

The paradoxical and unpredictable nature of existence seems always to have fascinated humankind. The use of paradox, metaphor, the illogical and absurd, surprise and humour as means to bring about change has a rich history. Ancient teaching tales from Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism and North American Indians are full of examples of the illogical and ironic, leading people into discoveries of new ways and insights.

Paradoxical and humourous interventions in counselling and psychotherapy are based on the assumption that people always have choices available to them; that change can precede, or even occur without insight or rational comprehension; and that therapy should focus on the positive and the client's potential to respond creatively to difficult circumstances.

Frank Farrelly's Provocative Therapy is paradoxical in that it helps clients focus on the positive by harping on about and lampooning their negative and self-defeating behaviours and thoughts.

Frank has been running workshops in Australia since 1983. It is fascinating to watch the process of people learning to do Provocative Therapy. Hundreds of therapists have attended workshops run by Frank, Steve Wells in Perth and myself in various cities in Australia. So often, participants go through a process starting with "I couldn't possibly do this", leading to "How wonderful to have permission to have fun doing therapy" and then the delight to discover that they can have fun AND be effective with the client. Provocative Therapy can also be a wonderful antidote for therapist burn-out!

Provocative Therapy is not about trying to be a comedian or minimising the seriousness of a client's problem. Its effectiveness stems from the therapist allowing his or her empathy with the client to stimulate imaginative and spontaneous imagery, ideas and responses. There will never be a ‘standardised' Provocative Therapy. There are as many Provocative Therapies as there are Provocative Therapists. Training in Provocative Therapy should aim to help therapists bring out their own natural and unique humour and playfulness as part of their therapeutic style. This can involve doing Provocative Therapy some of the time as one of a number of ways they have of working, or it can mean doing what they normally do - but with humour. As Frank says, with most therapists there is a Provocative Therapist screaming to be let out.

Steve Brigham is a psychologist and psychotherapist. He has a private practise based in Wollongong and teaches at the University of Wollongong and the Illawarra Institute of Technology. Steve has trained with Frank Farrelly, and offers training programs in Provocative Therapy, and Strategic and Paradoxical Therapies.