Resistance as a ‘dance’ between client and therapist

Abstract

The concept of resistance in psychotherapy has been hotly contested with different schools having different understandings of what it is and how to work with it. Since its introduction in the psychoanalytic field there is general agreement that resistance can be understood as a defensive/protective response to threat. Within the creative arts therapies, it is particularly prominent because it also refers to the ways clients respond to the introduction of artistic action. This paper describes our own humanistically-orientated understandings. In our research, we explored how we engage resistance in therapy using a reflexive, inter-subjective and dialogical approach. We engaged in extended dialogue, which moved between experiential closeness and analytic reflective distance, and mutually generated a description of resistance as a co-created dance that occurs at the contact boundaries between two intentionally engaged individuals. This comprised three themes: being delicate, respectful and patient; being curious and playful; and partnering and collaborating.