ABSTRACT
All theoretical orientations treat the topic of internal contradictions. A psychodynamic therapist might be particularly alert to conflicts between wishes and internal prohibitions against those wishes. A biologically oriented therapist might be sensitive to the fluctuations between John's stimulation-seeking elation and his deflated depression. Coping strategies range in sophistication and effectiveness. The least sophisticated ones rely on simple denial that anything is wrong; the most sophisticated rely on intellect to construct elaborate abstract frameworks for explaining the problem. Thus, our defensive strategies serve another function of saving us from the strain of constant self-awareness. The main thrust of conflict-focused work is increasing awareness of the contradictions that are stirring tension within the patient. Decreasing external stimulation is a third standard method employed to encourage defensive loosening. Loosening defenses is akin to the creative process, in which one is encouraged to relax one's typical cognitive approach and think outside the box in order to allow previously unconsidered material to emerge.
