Frequently, clients express a wish to begin acting in new ways--to be more assertive, to make an effort to break out of confining patterns of living, to conquer certain fears. However, they usually feel that the new behaviors are phony, so they are reluctant to try. Adler suggested that clients try a new behavior for the next week only as they would try on new clothing: they need only act _as if_. Adler found that, as clients began to act differently, they would begin to feel differently. When their feelings were positive, they tended to make new ways of behaving part of themselves. (Behavior modification, described in the next chapter, builds on this idea.) _Paradoxical Intention_ We encountered this technique, also called _negative practice_, in the preceding section on logotherapy. It can be a very effective technique when certain habits can no longer be controlled. If you suffered from insomnia, you would be asked to focus your attention on staying awake: to put an end to the habit, you would be asked to amplify it. Oddly enough, in many cases, this judo-like dropping of resistance and redirection of attention can bring involuntary behavior back under control. _The Push-Button Technique_ Many of us have unpleasant thoughts and emotions that refuse to leave us. We find ourselves on familiar tracks that we know lead to sadness, regret, anger, panic, or frustration. But we can't seem to subdue what Zen calls "these chattering monkeys of the mind." Adler taught clients that they _could_ create whatever feelings in themselves they wished, simply by deciding what to think. It is possible, with some practice, to imagine a happy or peaceful memory or scene and to direct your attention to it when negative thoughts try to dominate. We all have this push button available. Like all exercises in self-discipline, it strengthens us the more we use it. (Cognitive therapy, discussed in Chapter 10, is especially concerned with this influence of thoughts on emotions.) SETTINGS FOR THERAPY Adlerians use a variety of settings for therapy. Individual {161} therapy is common, but sometimes two therapists may work together with one client, an approach that gives clients an experience of cooperation between professionals who may perceive them differently. Adlerian workshops are popular with parents concerned with problems in rearing children. Other workshops exist for married couples. Adlerians have often been innovative: Rudolf Dreikurs, a well-known student of Adler, was, for example, one of the first therapists to use group therapy in private practice. APPLICATIONS OF ADLERIAN PSYCHOTHERAPY