Mastering Resistance A Practical Guide to Family Therapy

Resistance--any attitude or behavior of the therapist, patient, or system that resists change--is integral to every therapeutic relationship. Family therapists are all too familiar with challenges to their professional credentials, families' reluctance to convene for treatment, cancellations, rejection of therapy, requests to exclude a family member, and numerous other maneuvers that frustrate therapeutic goals. Mastering Resistance presents concrete, accessible strategies for coping directly with specific, commonly encountered problems of resistance. Moreover, it demonstrates how resistance can effectively be used to foster a stronger therapist-client alliance.

Carol M. Anderson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.
Susan Stewart is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.

1. Resistance 2. Initial Resistances 3. Contract-Related Resistances 4. Challenges to the Therapist's Competence 5. Common Resistances in Ongoing Treatment 6. Resistances Produced by Helping Systems