The concept of adaptive suggestive thinking modification: the basic provisions

Abstract

The article considers the basic theoretical provisions of Multimodal Suggestive Psychotherapy. It is shown that Multimodal Suggestive Psychotherapy is a new, original and effective system of psychotherapeutic assistance, and the improvement and systematization of its theoretical basis is a relevant direction of scientific research. The purpose of the article is to determine the specifics of the main theoretical provisions of Multimodal Suggestive Psychotherapy and to familiarize specialists with the possibility of adaptive suggestive modification of thinking. A comparative analysis and selection of the most logical and scientifically substantiated theoretical provisions of various psychotherapeutic approaches were carried out and an original concept of adaptive suggestive modification of thinking was developed. It is shown that the psychological and social adaptation of a person depends on the characteristics of his thinking. It is determined that thinking should be considered as an open nonlinear system-process, to which the principles of the general theory of systems can be applied. It is proposed to develop the adaptive potential of thinking using complex multimodal suggestion. It is noted that suggestive psychotherapeutic influence should be directed both at specific maladaptive thoughts and beliefs and at a person’s general ideas about the world. It is shown that the main method of influence is psychotherapeutic confrontational suggestion. It is determined that there are the basic worldview ideas-principles that are antagonists of maladaptive thoughts. These ideas-principles should be conveyed to a person using suggestive persuasion. It is shown that the main stages of suggestive modification of thinking are information content, provocation of cognitive dissonance, launch of the process of adaptive modification of maladaptive cognitive processes. The result of adaptive suggestive modification of thinking is an improvement in the indicators of its realism, flexibility, creativity and an increase in the adequacy of a person’s emotional and behavioral reactions.

Keywords: suggestion, suggestive influence, adaptive thinking, suggestive modification of thinking, multimodal suggestive psychotherapy, psychotherapeutic confrontational suggestion, concept of adaptive suggestive modification of thinking

Accepted: 05.04.2026

Reviewed: 15.05.2026

Published: 20.05.2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31108/3.2026.10.1.15