Paradoxical Intention: Everywhere and Nowhere All at Once

Abstract

We provide commentary on the article Paradoxical Intention (PI) Combined with Hypnosis in the Rapid Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: The Cases of "Fran" and "Emily," by Sam Hamburg (2026). We highlight strengths of the article, including its effort to identify the active elements of treatment, as well as its use of case observations in an effort to advance the field of psychology. We also discuss several areas of weakness, including the use of unclear definitions of “success” in treatment, focus on habituation-based exposure, and lack of acknowledgement of research-supported treatments that include principles of paradoxical intention within their intervention.