The Experience of provocation in psychotherapy : a co-created description

Abstract

As some criticism and hesitations have been expressed with regard to the implementation of provocation in psychotherapy, this study aimed to explore the experiences of clients and a therapist who participated in provocative psychotherapy. In order to do this, a concise theoretical description of the nature of provocative psychotherapy was provided along the lines of the work of Frank Farrelly and Maurizio Andolfi. Participants' experiences of provocation in psychotherapy were consequently presented by means of three case studies. A description of the experience of provocation in psychotherapy was co-created through the identifying of certain themes underlying of the three client groups' and the therapist's descriptions of their experiences. This was done by employing a qualitative research methodology to describe the experiences of clients and a therapist who participated in provocative individual-, couple- and family psychotherapy.