TECHNIQUE OF GUIDED FANTASY IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

One of the advantages of Guided Fantasy techniques is their flexibility and adaptability to diverse settings.I shall describe my general approach to fantas in counseling situations; see my paper (Kelly, 1972) for further detail. The effectiveness of Guided Fantasy seems to depend on several factors: the characteristics of the client, how well the counselor has introduced and structured the situation, and the effectiveness of the counselor’s guiding during the actual situation.

Client characteristics. There are several client characteristics that seem to especially reliable in predicting a positive outcome from a fantasy experience in counselling or therapy:

Deep commitment to the counseling process and its goals.
Willingness to share the responsibility for the counselingrelationship and to work toward growth and change.
Trust in the counselor,whose accepting manner is firmly established.
Lack of intense anxiety or undue concern over increasing insight,fantasies, or dreams.
Some comprehension of the existence of unconscious needs,motivations, and repressions.
Willingness to participate in a Guided Fantasy without viewing theexperience as unduly threatening, mystical, or unorthodox.

Some clients simply indicate they are afraid of such methods or would prefer not to participate in them. Some therapists would interpret this as resistance to be broken down; I prefer to respect the client’s wishes.