Therapeutic, personal change and coaching applications

The Provocative Change Works model was inspired by Frank Farrelly’s classic Provocative Therapy. PCW however massively expands Frank’s brilliant work and the differences between the two approaches are explained here

The power of “provocation” and working in a multi layered manner

The provocative style of working is to work conversationally and t encourage the client to think differently by encouraging them to do more of the same behaviour. This is the polar opposite of most talk therapy, coaching and personal change processes. Coaching, therapy and personal change tend to be categorized as different subjects, but from a PCW perspective they all fall under the category of “problem solving” In each instance we are simply seeking out “the difference that makes the difference. This is done in a variety of different ways including, using different stances to elicit different client behaviours, using metaphorical elicitations and challenges, using fractionation, hypnosis work, time framing sessions so the client experiences new perspectives among other approaches. This is a very multi layered way of working and a far cry from standard, therapy, coaching and personal change approaches.

Rather than enter into a lengthy explanation its more useful to watch this session with a client working on a public speaking problem. Watch the whole video to see the final result within a very short period of time.

Misconceptions about provocation

It is about being macho, confrontational, and unpleasant

Working provocatively is all about working “as if talking to an old friend” Any provocation is done in a friendly manner. Yes, the client may be “confronted” during the session, but only in a manner that allows them to usefully think and feel differently about the issue they want to work on. There is no place for aggression or “being macho” in provocative work. The session experience may at times be uncomfortable, but the coach of therapist is there primarily to create a new sense of freedom for the client and not to passively document all the information about the problem or unhelpfully analyse past events and speculate on how they may or may not be relevant to the current situation. Frank Farrelly would say “Throw away your professional dignity in the service of the client”

It is one dimensional and incomplete as a way of working with clients

Provocative Therapy and Provocative Change Works are some of the most multi layered/dimensional ways of doing client work. The practitioner is working “in the here and now” as opposed to a pre-planned series of processes. This means the practitioner needs to pay great attention to the client’s verbal and non verbal responses. In PCW a practitioner will used the 27 stances to provoke new thinking, elicit and challenge the client’s metaphorical representations, use fractionation to change the problem state, explore the client’s use of language patterns, use hypnosis to change the client’s unhelpful thinking processes and time frame the session so the client can listen back to the session in the future to continue to discover new benefits. This makes PCW one of the most complete models of communication that focuses 100% on assisting the client and avoiding many of the conventions that limit useful progress in client sessions

It is about having a laugh with clients

Some humour may appear during the session, BUT its not the job of the practitioner to be comedic or funny. Anyone reducing this way of working to “being funny” “working with humour” has a very one-dimensional idea of working in a provocative manner and has dumbed down the approach in an unhelpful manner

You lose rapport, client does not feel respected, rather offended

When many therapists talk about “rapport” they often mean mirroring and matching client behaviours to make the client “feel comfortable” The sentiment is fine, but this can in itself create all manner of problems for the client in that the practitioner passively listens to the client’s concerns and does nothing to create any useful change. A better way of working is to ensure that you have a human-to-human connection with the client where you have their attention and can provoke and/or stimulate a new way of thinking and feeling. A provocative practitioner will put the client’s needs above and beyond their own personal comfort. Some approaches that seek to “not influence the client” are hugely limited although well intentioned, as they often do nothing to allow the client to affirm a new way of thinking and feeling.

It is about being nasty to the client

This is another simplistic dumbed down myth about using provocation. I often categorise people who make such comments as the group that thinks “We have no idea what it is, but we don’t like it” the very idea of talking about “being nasty” or “nice” is supremely daft. In PCW we learn that we are 100% there for the client and to assist them regardless of our own personal hang-ups. This means working in the here and now and not lazily relying on pre prescribed set questions or techniques that are often totally ineffective.

It goes against everything I’ve learnt to date

This is mostly true, and no bad thing. We learn how to be better and do better by challenging and improving our ways of thinking. When we stop learning and reviewing how we operate, we run the danger of being wholly ineffective in client sessions

It is disrespectful to the client, people who have compassion for others could not possibly work provocatively

The greatest respect in helping a client is to work 100% in their interest, free from many of the stereotypical conventions that as Farrelly would say “have a therapist working with one hand tied behind their backs” Ultimately, it’s about results and this means really being there for the client. Frank would say “If you want to do this work, you really have to like people” He would also say “Show me the evidence” Often therapy and personal change approaches are reduced to a very cerebral digital, logical sequential way of working that is wholly ineffective when working with clients in real life.