An interactional basis for the evolution of a paranoid cycle is presented, followed by its implications for clinical intervention. Treatment strategies and tactics are delineated along with a set of clinical examples. The major therapeutic principle advocated is for the therapist to help to build new action based upon old labels and premises. The danger of using static labels of pathology is clarified through the example of the paranoid cycle. Finally, the interactional view of the paranoid cycle is briefly related to the paradigm shift within our field. True to strategic intervention tactics, the reframing of traditional labels used by the field in general is advocated as the best pathway to change.