Abstract
The concept of “resistance” is probably the most elaborate rationalization that therapists employ to explain their treatment failures. When their efforts are frustrated they frequently postulate the existence of internal forces or make causal assignment to a “frustrator,” thus reducing dissonance at the patient’s expense. Spoken or unspoken, the sentiment is: “It is not my own inadequate assessment or faulty diagnosis, nor the limitations of my theories or methods, but instead the patient’s stubbornness, unwillingness, or inability to cooperate that accounts for his or her lack of progress.” At the outset, we would like to underline our view that “resistance” is generally a function of the limitations of our knowledge and methods and the constraints of our personalities. These are the major factors that create difficulty in dealing successfully with the special therapeutic problems individuals bring to our attention.
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Lazarus, A.A., Fay, A. (1982). Resistance or Rationalization?. In: Wachtel, P.L. (eds) Resistance. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2163-5_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2163-5_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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