A somewhat amusing type of manipulation was used by family therapists who called themselves Strategic. They would do paradoxical reverse psychology things to directly manipulative clients into changing and would not say what they were up to. An outrageous example of this was a case where a boy was brought in by his parents for masturbating all the time all over the house.

The therapist started by not telling the boy to stop, but instead by asking him to keep a detailed log of all the places and times. Then the therapist asked which were the best places and times and told the kid to double his efforts!

The kid of course stopped. This treatment is called by the therapists "an ordeal," and is designed to make the cure so unbearable that the original symptom goes away.