ABSTRACT
Confrontation is a loaded word; it carries such negative connotations of ‘being told off’, of angry conflicts, and so on that a number of people, therapists included, shrink inside even when the word is mentioned. In spite of all of this, sensitive and well-timed confrontation remains a potent therapeutic method. In discussing the need for confrontation to be made from a position of empathy and care, Masterson recommends the following: Confrontation must be done intuitively and empathically and must ‘fit’ the clinical material the client presents. Confrontation can act as a strong invitation for the client to cathect Adult. One difficulty with confrontation is that even with the best will in the world, a confrontation can be heard by the client as being Parental. Berne suggested that confrontations should be followed up later in the therapy with confirmation. A confirmation is one of the therapeutic operations that is designed to ‘reinforce the ego boundaries still further’.
