Passive-Aggressive Clients

Abstract

This article talks about the formation of passive-aggressive personality adaptation in a client, a supposed family system in which he grew up, the role of passivity in the client’s life and his favorite roles in communication with others. Passive-aggressive clients are among the most difficult in the therapist’s work, as they do not seek to achieve results in therapy, but rather to devalue the therapist’s work and avoid any changes. Avoidance and devaluation are the result of the fact that the active energy of such clients, which could have been directed at growth and development, was somehow blocked in their childhood. This article suggests a review of the views of several authors on a passive-aggressive client, allowing you to see better the hidden benefits of a person and his or her loved ones. In particular, the author draws on the works of Francis Bonвs-White, Aaron Wolfe Schiff and Jackie Lee Schiff, Ian Stewart and Van Joines. The article also describes the first steps in establishing contact with passive-aggressive clients in a session.