Intervention
Therapeutic Double Bind Template
Design a therapeutic double bind for a specific clinical situation — confirming that both options are genuinely therapeutic before offering them.
This worksheet helps therapists design a therapeutic double bind — a situation in which both the client’s cooperation and their resistance produce therapeutic movement. The design step is the most important: confirming that both options are genuinely therapeutic, not that one is therapeutic and one is a penalty or a decoy.
Complete this worksheet before any session in which a double bind will be offered. If either option is not genuinely therapeutic, the intervention is not a double bind — it is a trap, and it will damage the relationship. Review the completed template before the session.
Therapeutic Double Bind Template
Client (initials or identifier): _______________ Session date: _______________
The therapeutic goal What movement is needed? Stated as a clinical goal.
Option A Describe the first option fully:
Why this option produces therapeutic movement:
Option B Describe the second option fully:
Why this option also produces therapeutic movement:
The design check Both options must be genuinely therapeutic. Answer:
- Option A produces therapeutic movement because: _______________________________________________
- Option B produces therapeutic movement because: _______________________________________________
- Neither option is a penalty, a decoy, or a trick
- I can explain why both options are good for this client if asked
If any of these are not true, the design is not complete. Do not proceed until both options are genuinely therapeutic.
The framing language How to present the two options in session — so the client understands they are choosing between forms of movement, not between moving and not moving:
If the client selects Option A What the selection indicates, and what to do with it next session:
If the client selects Option B What the selection indicates, and what to do with it next session:
If the client declines both options What to do when the client finds a third path or refuses the frame entirely:
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