ABSTRACT
Always remember that therapists disputing interventions serve as activating events for therapist's clients during therapy. As such, therapists need to consider what interpretations and evaluations therapist's clients are making about therapists disputing strategies. If clients misunderstand the meaning behind one of therapist's disputes, then their misunderstanding will have a negative influence on the therapeutic process, particularly if it is unexamined. To illustrate this phenomenon, the author briefly describes an example. The author has a client who is quite unassertive and has difficulty forming relationships with women. He gets particularly lonely at weekends and when he becomes aware of this feeling he condemns himself for being lonely. The author initial therapeutic strategy has been to encourage him to accept himself for being alone so that he does not become depressed. This, the author argue, help him to become active and increase his chances of meeting people over the weekend.
