British Institute of Provocative Therapy
Arachnaphobia What on earth was Dorothy to do? She had been invited to the highly prestigious opening of the Tate Modern Art Gallery. She knew that was quite an honour. The problem was that just inside the entrance to the gallery was a huge metal spider, and Dorothy had suffered from a terrible phobia of spiders all her life. She loved modern art, but such was her fear of spiders that she did not see how she could manage to go to the opening. In a brief Provocative Therapy session, she worriedly told the therapist of her plight. To her surprise, the therapist agreed with her– she should certainly stay away from the gallery. The spider was probably an omen to tell her that she should not go– there were probably highly disturbing pieces of modern art in the gallery that would upset her, or offend her sensitivity. Anyway, continued the therapist, she would be far better off going to the National Gallery, and contemplating Monet's famous painting, 'Water Lilies'. Clearly, this suggestion irritated Dorothy a lot, so the therapist, using very precisely the language patterns of PT, continued on the same theme, waxing lyrical about the wonderful art of Monet, and how many found it harmonious and peaceful. The work of Monet, the therapist assured her, was much more suitable for Dorothy's sensitive nature… Continuing, the therapist asked, what was wrong with arachnaphobia? Everyone has their harmless, irrational fears after all… After the session, Dorothy was indignant. She later told a friend that she was certainly NOT going to pay any attention to those RIDICULOUS suggestions that therapist had made. Her friend, with a grin, told her to relax: "after all, it is PROVOCATIVE therapy! Dorothy went to the opening of the exhibition without any difficulty at all. A few months later, she reported that her fear of spiders was, strangely, not such a problem any more... |