Provocative Therapy
Textbook Psychology Psychotherapy Alternative Medicine Mental Health Humor in Therapy Counseling
“Provocative Therapy” (1982 hardcover) is the cult-classic manual that turned polite counseling on its head and is still the go-to reference for therapists who want to master the surprise-power of strategic humor. Written by the late Frank Farrelly—legendary for his outrageous live demonstrations—and co-author Jeff Brandsma, this vintage university textbook lays out, step-by-step, how compassionate confrontation, playful exaggeration and gentle “needling” can jolt clients out of shame, resistance and victim scripts faster than traditional talk therapy alone. Counselors, coaches and even teachers rave that the verbatim session transcripts and “what-would-you-say-next?” practice drills make the method easy to replicate the very next day in clinic or classroom.
Collectors prize the 1982 first-edition hardcover because later reprints abridged Farrelly’s wildest examples; this ex-library copy still carries the original pagination, cartoons and margin cues that were trimmed from paperback versions. The sturdy library binding is tight, pages are crisp and unmarked by high-lighting or dog-ears, and the only writing is the usual circulation stamps—making it ideal for both shelf presence and daily office use. A short gift inscription on the fly-leaf adds a personal touch without obscuring text.
For students of alternative or integrative psychotherapy, owning an accessible copy of “Provocative Therapy” is like having a master-class on demand: you’ll learn how to deliver a therapeutic “zing” that lands as caring rather than caustic, defuse suicidal despair with absurdity, and flip “yes-but” clients into creative problem-solvers. Mental-health professionals report that adding these humor-laden interventions to their toolbox shortens treatment length, boosts client engagement and rekindles their own joy in the work. At a fraction of the cost of modern seminars, this durable vintage edition delivers the complete, unfiltered method that launched a global training movement.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
Buy Now