Psychology Today | 14.05.2026 20:30
Beyond avoidance of people, places, or activities, avoidance as a psychological process refers to the various ways a person distances themselves from intolerable thoughts, feelings, memories, wishes, fantasies, etc. If the avoidance is very effective at its job, then the whole process may be kept out of a person's awareness for maximum self-protection. As a result, both patients and therapists are susceptible to avoidance dynamics in the therapy without recognizing it, especially if one or both individuals are in fact working very hard with good intentions, and therapy has the "look" of being productive. However, if the avoidance remains outside of awareness, that hard work will not lead to meaningful gains, leaving patient and therapist feeling stuck, confused, disappointed, and possibly resentful.
