Methods of Self-Confrontation in Family Therapy

The research, clinical applications, and effects of audiotape and videotape self-confrontation techniques to family therapy are reviewed. A variety of new applications, such as cross-confrontation and interpersonal process recall, are integrated into the practice of family therapy. Thirteen specific audiovisual self-confrontation methods are reviewed along with reported positive and negative effects of their use. As most novel additions to a therapists "bag of tricks", self-confrontation methods are being abused, applied randomly and unsystematically. There is an urgent need for well-designed and relevant research in the area.