Resistance

Abstract

This article reviews extant literature on how patient resistance has been defined and its effects on psychotherapy. Resistance has been considered as both a patient-in-treatment state and as an enduring trait. In either form, patient resistance seems to interfere with treatment outcome. Resistance also functions as a moderating variable in determining the effectiveness of different levels of therapist directiveness. The evidence that patients who enter treatment with high levels of traitlike resistance will benefit most from nondirective interventions is moderately strong. Conversely, those who enter treatment with low levels of traitlike resistance benefit most from therapist directed interventions. Therapeutic practices associated with the research evidence are advanced.