How does the Provocative Therapy work?
Provocative coaching is based on Provocative Therapy founded by Frank Farrelly
The provocative approach.
Provocative therapy sets out from totally different starting principles to the more usual forms of coaching and advising. Recently in the ‘Volkskrant’ there was a lengthy article about therapists and coaches who focus too much on negative aspects, whereas shifting the emphasis onto what works well would deliver better results. In our sessions and consultations, we try to maintain a default attitude of positive acceptance. We appreciate our clients the way they are. But within this positive framework we challenge our clients in unorthodox ways; saying absurd things, over-enthusiastically agreeing with them, proposing unattainable solutions, taking their ‘enemies’ side, leading them ‘around the houses,’ etc.
This requires a radically different way of communicating from traditional forms of presenting advice. There’s no simple indiscriminate approval here, you will be thoroughly tested but always with a commitment to acceptance and positive interaction. This is not threatening, but strengthening, because it doesn’t feel like a contrived conversation, but like one with a trusted confidante whose advice you value.
The outcome?
The unhelpful patterns of expectations and disappointment are broken, creativity is unleashed, and together we can look at new ways to solve old problems. If one looks at things the way you always have, you’ll only see what you always saw.
