Which Strategic Therapy technique provides a positive rationale for treatment, reframing the situation so that it appears logical to comply with treatment?

• A. Miracle Question
• B. Scaling Question
• C. Reframing
• D. Paradoxical Intervention

Answer: (C)

Reframing changes how the client interprets the situation so that engaging in treatment makes sense and feels beneficial. By offering a new frame or meaning for the problem, the therapist shows that change is attainable and aligned with the client’s values or goals, making compliance seem logical rather than imposed. This positive reinterpretation can reduce resistance and boost motivation, because the client sees treatment as a feasible path to the outcomes they actually want.

Other techniques work differently. A miracle question helps clients envision a future without the problem, which can inspire goals but doesn’t necessarily provide a practical, immediate justification for starting treatment. A scaling question measures readiness or depends on progress but doesn’t reframe the problem to make treatment seem a natural choice. Paradoxical intervention often uses resistance itself to provoke change, which can undermine the sense that following treatment is a reasonable choice. Reframing uniquely provides that positive rationale by altering the meaning of the situation to support engagement in treatment.