Enhancing effectiveness of paradoxical intention in treating travel restriction in agoraphobia

Techniques ancillary to paradoxical intention were employed to reduce anxiety and depression in agoraphobic clients. It was suggested that such enhancement would produce greater improvement in terms of increased travel capabilities during the initial portion of therapy than would be the case for individuals receiving component treatment. Three groups, each containing five agoraphobic clients, were provided with the enhanced paradoxical intention procedure, the paradoxical intention alone, or the enhancement package alone. Following the fourth session, subjects in the enhanced paradoxical intention group were performing significantly better than subjects in the two remaining groups. © 1986 Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy. All rights reserved.