NAVIGATING CHANGE WITH THERAPY

BY JULIE RUDIGER, LCSW

Most of us, at one time or another, have wanted to change some aspect of our lives. Whether change involves something small like losing a few pounds, or a more serious issue like addressing depression or marital problems, the process can be difficult. But change is possible. Research has found that the people who are most successful at making changes go through six predictable stages. These stages are Pre-Contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Relapse and Maintenance.

Pre-contemplation is what most of us call “denial”. This is the stage that many of us remain in until we are ready to look honestly at a problem or issue. Rarely do we seek help while in this stage. Contemplation is the stage when we start to say to ourselves, “I am not sure this behavior (issue, relationship, etc.) is working for me or in my best interest.” It is a time of extreme ambivalence, however, because as much as a pattern may be hurting us, usually we do things for a reason. Sometimes a pattern which started out innocently has just become a bad habit.

Most people enter therapy when they are contemplating a problem. Therapy can be an excellent place to take inventory of a problem because it is designed to give a client a chance to explore issues honestly. Without adequate preparation of a change, many of us fall back into old patterns. People often skip the preparation stage and move right into action without adequate planning. Therapy can be a place to design an action plan that will prepare for setbacks, keep the focus on long-term goals and obtain the support and encouragement needed in any difficult process.

Maintaining change is the ultimate goal of this process and therapy can help clients when they slip back into old behaviors. A therapist helps a client learn throughout the change process and stay focused on what works. Maintenance is a learning process, often met with setbacks. This is often when people give up, but therapy can keep the process going in a positive direction.

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 9th, 2008 at 1:43 am and is filed under Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.