ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the point of view of treatment professionals - which features of clients' action require intervention. It shows how the professionals respond to clients who express interests counter to treatment goals. The chapter focus on what professionals understand as undesirable attitudes among clients and how they respond in varying ways to clients' contending talk. It also shows what aspects of the clients' actions and speech the professionals see as problematic. The chapter analyses an instance of a group therapy session in which the therapist treats the client's turn as troublesome and in so doing initiates a confrontation. It focuses on several strategic aspects of the therapeutic cycle involving S, the therapists and other members of the therapy group. The chapter shows that the dilemma of two cultures is embedded in the matrix of social interaction. It concludes to consolidate contradictory views arising out of different research perspectives.
