Views of Resistance

Kopp and Kivel (1990) discuss resistance as it is formulated in Adlerian therapy. In this regard, the Adlerian perspective postulates resistance as purposive and deliberate on the part of the client and uses a model termed "Traps and Escapes." In order to understand the model, it is first necessary to understand that Adlerians view resistance as serving the function of "safeguarding" a client's beliefs about self and others. The fear is that if these beliefs (no matter how neurotic) are not safeguarded, one will lose all sense of self-esteem and self-worth.

Resistance is said to emerge as a paradoxical and conflictual statement by the client through which he or she seeks to "trap" the therapist by bringing him/her into a paradoxical and conflictual interaction. This will happen if the therapist attends only to the client's stated message and not to the message hiding behind the client's actions. Kopp and Kivel (1990) go on to describe several techniques and strategies therapists can use to avoid being trapped in such interactions or to extricate themselves from the traps if they are sprung.