Client Challenges

When might it be necessary to use a challenge or confrontation with a client? Give a concrete example. Or, if you believe challenging is not appropriate, make a case for your position.

Many times during the course of therapy a client will come to a point where they refuse to take responsibility or see their unused resources (Egan, 2014). In these instances it can be of benefit to challenge the client. In a fictional case study, a middle age woman, is having trouble finding a relationship after 2 divorces. The two prior relationships ended the same way with gross betrayal, with sexual and financial infidelity. In both instances, she did not have a clue that anything was amiss and was devastated by the discovery of the betrayal that had
He has romanced her, taking her on trips and now they are talking of getting closer, but she doesn’t understand this request. Every time he expresses his desire to become more emotionally intimate she withdraws. She tells the therapist, “I don’t know why he wants to get into my business and wants to tell me everything, why can’t we just go on trips and have fun?” The therapist notices that the woman has a very challenging time with emotional intimacy. Not just within her romantic life, but also with her friends, she keeps everyone at arms length. In her two previous marriages, she married in a world wind romance. She says, “I don’t understand why we can’t just get married”.

At this point in the therapeutic relationship the therapist should challenge the client to look at her own intimacy issues. Guiding her in a way that would not hurt her feelings but explore this situation. The therapist could remark “You say you want to get married, that is a rather big step, what would happen if you got to know him better? When he wants to talk and ask questions if you listened and tried to answer honestly?” This may challenge the client to explore why she will not become emotionally intimate and own her situation (Egan.
Cultural diversity issues may raise concerns of challenging a client. A fictitious scenario my have a conservative and religious individual seeking therapy. One of the issues is with a parent, and this person’s culture requires complete reverence to the parents. It would be wrong to challenge the client in a confrontation with the parents. The therapist should make every effort to understand the client’s beliefs and values and never challenge a client outside of that system, unless the client is exploring options outside their current belief system. Respect for the clients beliefs is part of positive