Good to hear from someone who uses this approach.

What are the differences you see to Fritz’s work?

My tongue was very firmly in my cheek when I wrote the title there ;-) didn’t mean to imply that this form of therapy is actually lethal!

Thanks for the info. As I stated (I hope clearly enough!) I really have the most superficial knowledge of the approach. I wasn’t meaning to introduce the approach on its own terms so much as to comment on how it sounds to me, from the outside, and the thoughts provoked, which are all mine.

I am interested in learning more and apologise to anyone who might feel a helpful approach has been unfairly caricatured.

Before anyone “worries” about the potential implications of what they imagine PT could do, I suggest attending a live training, reading the original book and/or watching the released DVD material of this approach in action. Anyone studying PT would know it is TOTALLY different to Fritz’s work and any suggestions otherwise are quite ludicrous

I use Provocative Therapy alongside other approaches with literally hundreds of clients each year, many of which had previously attended years of CBT without success. Frank will be in the UK to present his work on Nov 1 & 2 (see http://www.tranceformingnlp.com)

REgards

Nick Kemp
Provocative Therapy & Provocative Change Works Trainer

I comfort myself with the numbers of readers and subscribers.

I wonder if the ratio of commenters to readers is the same as readers of newspapers to those who write letters and emails. It would be good to have some data.

I totally agree with your point re Perls and other therapists who sometimes, despite their insights, come across as showmen on a power trip.

I would also like some more explanation on how the resources are actually, speicifically evoked by this therapy. It didn’t seem actually to quite match up. This seems more of an extreme kind of zen therapy – more about just dropping the storyline.

My worry about this kind of therapy (which is not so different to some parts of gestalt practised by Fritz Perls, who was a real p*&^k on occasion – though by no means always) is that it appeals to power freaks.

Victor Frankl has a theory that has a coherent place for humour.

Exaggeration is a part of lots of the person-centred therapies. It sounds like a one-trick process. And it chooses those who will be helped by this trick. Which is great.

As to the explanation. This seems circular. The person is helped by mobilising these resources, therefore the therapy evokes these resources. It doesn’t say how this is actually done. For this it would need to investigate perception and the way we make meaning.