Abstract
Problem families which respond to treatment with passivity are considered as resisting change in the family system. When direct methods of therapy have proven to be unsuccessful, strategic paradoxical interventions may break the symbiosis in the family and permit change and growth. The compatibility and utility of such TA concepts and approaches as script, counterscript messages, injunctions permission, and stroking are considered and illustrated. Three case studies illustrating understanding strategic therapy from a TA perspective are included.