Strategic Self-Limitation in Psychotherapy

Dr. Rory Reid of the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences talks about the tendency of some patients to limit the amount of change they are willing to make in psychotherapy. This is described as "strategic self-limitation" where patients self-handicap their own progress due to fear that if they take some of the risks required for change that the result will be further loss, suffering, or regret. Furthermore, patients believe that they can't handle one more failure or loss so their fear paralyzes them from making changes that could help them progress towards a healthy life style.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Strategic
• self
• limitation
• addiction
• psychotherapy