• Do you make Resolutions each year?
• Do your resolutions “fail” each year?
• Do you feel lousy each time they “fail,” and vow never to make a resolution again?
• Only to make another resolution the following year?
Read on to learn, why NONE of your New Years’ Resolutions failed...
Coaching clients through the process of change and supporting them along the way, is what I gain the most fulfillment from. As a Licensed Counselor, I help people achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. My work has been primarily in two avenues: clinical/psychiatric counseling and career counseling. Often, these two areas overlap when work or life pressures impact each other. As a Clinical Psychiatric Counselor, my clients struggle with alcohol and drug issues, sex addiction, gambling, internet addiction, marital breakdown, violence and psychiatric disabilities etc. As a Career Counselor my clients struggle with job loss, career confusion, budgeting and financial issues, loss of identity after retirement and unhealthy work environments.
Sometimes my clients are discouraged, due to a mistaken belief that they have failed – in their marriages, in their careers etc. They recite a litany of perceived failures, in our counseling sessions. In both of my counseling roles, I provide support, education and encouragement. I can help clients ‘reframe’ their experiences. Often these “failures” are part of the change process and clients have an “aha” experience once they understand this model. From the counselors’ perspective, if they don’t understand their clients’ current stage of change, they will feel frustrated that progress is slow, or doubt their professional skills.
In order to work on goals, whether solo, or with a counselor – you need to know about the stages of change.
Change must happen naturally. Sometimes the pressure to change is self imposed other times it’s external or a combination of both. Often, when working with families who had teenagers, parents attempted to “bribe” change. This type of change is temporary, condescending and instills a sense of failure in the teenager. If the teenager didn’t have “buy in” to the process, the change couldn’t truly take root. Thus, one party felt pressured to ‘change’ and change was based on someone else’s goals. Sometimes, in marital therapy, one partner gave the other, an ultimatum. This is also an example of external pressure to change.
Dr. Prochaska and Dr. DiClemente developed the “Transtheoretical Model of Change,” which was based on a analysis of different theories of psychotherapy. The original model was created based on smoking cessation research.
www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/physcian_ed/stages_change
Stages of Change
In the trans-theoretical model as of 1997, change is a process involving progress. Initially this model was conceptualized in 5 stages, currently it includes a sixth stage.
• Pre-contemplation - is the stage at which there is no intention to change behavior in the foreseeable future. Many individuals in this stage are unaware or under-aware of their problems. People do not intend to take action in the foreseeable future, usually measured as the next 6 months.
• Contemplation - is the stage in which people are aware that a problem exists and are seriously thinking about overcoming. However, they have not yet made a commitment to take action. They may intend to change in the next 6 months.
• Preparation - is a stage that combines intention and behavioral criteria. Individuals in this stage are intending to take action in the immediate future, usually measured as the next month.
• Action - involves the most overt behavioral changes and requires considerable commitment of time and energy. People have made specific overt modifications in their life styles within the past 6 months.
• Maintenance - is the stage in which people work to maintain their new behaviors, prevent relapse and consolidate the gains attained during the action phase. For addictive behaviors this stage extends from six months to an indeterminate period/ongoing.
• Termination - individuals have zero temptation and 100% self-efficacy. They are certain that they won’t return to their old unhealthy habits, as a way of coping.
In addition, the researchers conceptualized "relapse" which is not a stage in itself but rather the "return from action or maintenance to an earlier stage." Of note; these 6 stages are not linear and sequential. You may begin at the action stage, move to maintenance then revert to pre-contemplation etc. Any of the stages can occur in any order. However, for the purposes of this article, we will assume the stages are linear.
What “stage of change” were you in when you made you last or current New Years’ Resolution? Often both a counselor and client, set goals, and assume that they are both in the Action phase, ready to move forward. Daily, clients tell me “I need to job search.” It would be a mistake for me to assume they are in the action phase, without assessing them further. Recently, I had a perfect example of this Change model. One of my former clients reconnected and called me, after a six month absence. Six months earlier, he attended of my most popular workshops “Accessing the Hidden Job Market.” Many professionals attend this workshop and almost all report that they intend to job search. The workshop is very interactive and includes the techniques to help you job search and recession-proof your career. I provide handouts of my power-point slides, for clients’ future reference.
The client who reconnected with me, had reread my handouts the previous week and decided to contact me. His first statement was,
“I’m sorry, I haven’t contacted you sooner, I’m sorry to say I haven’t begun my job search, yet. I know what I need to do, I just haven’t done it.”
He felt embarrassed and guilty. It could very well be, that this young professional, was not in the action stage when he took my workshop. He was probably in the preparation stage and attending the workshop, was a way to learn about next steps. Additionally, having worked with this client before, I knew that his job-loss was traumatic and sudden. It was also his first, professional job. Very likely, he needed this time to process, the emotional baggage associated with this loss. In our virtual phone session, I provided him with a “job search tune up” and helped him reframe his situation. This understanding of the stages of change, had an immediate and positive impact.
Facing change is scary and takes a lot of courage...Sometimes, you just need a bit of encouragement...
Let’s say your resolution last year, was to eat healthy. You had a vague idea about what this entailed, but no specific goals. When, you didn’t accomplish this, your mistaken perception was that of “failure.” Ask yourself if you really failed? If you didn’t have specific and measureable goals, how do you know you failed? If you had some goals, were they achievable? Actionable? How did you prepare for this challenge? What timeline did you use to judge success or failure? How rigid was your criteria? Was your definition of success black or white, all or nothing?
Any of us who have ever dieted, know that the stages of change are not always linear. You may take one step forward and one step back. In fact, the Stages of Change addresses what we commonly refer to as “failure” or “relapse.” Maybe you were on a diet, when you secretly devoured an 800 calorie, jumbo, slice of cheesecake. You do not need to make your relapse complete and devour the entire cake. Instead of considering this a “failure” and triggering a cycle or recriminations and self-loathing, think of this as a "return from action or maintenance to an earlier stage." Hopefully, you can restart the process again at preparation, action or even the maintenance stages. People who have relapsed may need to learn to anticipate high-risk situations. It is possible to step back, and stop, despite this misstep.
A resolution, for the most part is a sign that you are in one of the first 3 stages of change. Think about the massive spike in gym and health club memberships each January. How many of these new members even go? How many made the mistake of thinking they were in the action phase? Think about how quiet the gym is, around March. Within 3 months, more than 75% of resolutions to work out/exercise – crash and burn.
Healthy goals – for 2010. Give yourself a break.
• What about taking the time this year, to acknowledge your resolutions for what they are – simply an idea or intention for the future.
• What about allowing yourself to work your way through the stages of change at your own pace?
• What about praising and encouraging yourself through-out the process?
• What about not obsessing with the end-result?
As a society, North Americans are goal-obsessed. What about looking on the positive side. If you had a New Years resolution last year, you may have worked your way through 2 additional stages of change in the past year.
If so, then January 2010, may be the month you reach the “action stage!”
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New Years’ Resolutions will succeed! 6 Stages of Change Model
December 30, 2009
• Do you make Resolutions each year?
• Do your resolutions “fail” each year?
• Do you feel lousy each time they “fail,” and vow never to make a resolution again?
• Only to make another resolution the following year?
Read on to learn, why NONE of your New Years’ Resolutions failed...
Coaching clients through the process of change and supporting them along the way, is what I gain the most fulfillment from. As a Licensed Counselor, I help people achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. My work has been primarily in two avenues: clinical/psychiatric counseling and career counseling. Often, these two areas overlap when work or life pressures impact each other. As a Clinical Psychiatric Counselor, my clients struggle with alcohol and drug issues, sex addiction, gambling, internet addiction, marital breakdown, violence and psychiatric disabilities etc. As a Career Counselor my clients struggle with job loss, career confusion, budgeting and financial issues, loss of identity after retirement and unhealthy work environments.
Sometimes my clients are discouraged, due to a mistaken belief that they have failed – in their marriages, in their careers etc. They recite a litany of perceived failures, in our counseling sessions. In both of my counseling roles, I provide support, education and encouragement. I can help clients ‘reframe’ their experiences. Often these “failures” are part of the change process and clients have an “aha” experience once they understand this model. From the counselors’ perspective, if they don’t understand their clients’ current stage of change, they will feel frustrated that progress is slow, or doubt their professional skills.
In order to work on goals, whether solo, or with a counselor – you need to know about the stages of change.
Change must happen naturally. Sometimes the pressure to change is self imposed other times it’s external or a combination of both. Often, when working with families who had teenagers, parents attempted to “bribe” change. This type of change is temporary, condescending and instills a sense of failure in the teenager. If the teenager didn’t have “buy in” to the process, the change couldn’t truly take root. Thus, one party felt pressured to ‘change’ and change was based on someone else’s goals. Sometimes, in marital therapy, one partner gave the other, an ultimatum. This is also an example of external pressure to change.
Dr. Prochaska and Dr. DiClemente developed the “Transtheoretical Model of Change,” which was based on a analysis of different theories of psychotherapy. The original model was created based on smoking cessation research.
www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/physcian_ed/stages_change
Stages of Change
In the trans-theoretical model as of 1997, change is a process involving progress. Initially this model was conceptualized in 5 stages, currently it includes a sixth stage.
• Pre-contemplation - is the stage at which there is no intention to change behavior in the foreseeable future. Many individuals in this stage are unaware or under-aware of their problems. People do not intend to take action in the foreseeable future, usually measured as the next 6 months.
• Contemplation - is the stage in which people are aware that a problem exists and are seriously thinking about overcoming. However, they have not yet made a commitment to take action. They may intend to change in the next 6 months.
• Preparation - is a stage that combines intention and behavioral criteria. Individuals in this stage are intending to take action in the immediate future, usually measured as the next month.
• Action - involves the most overt behavioral changes and requires considerable commitment of time and energy. People have made specific overt modifications in their life styles within the past 6 months.
• Maintenance - is the stage in which people work to maintain their new behaviors, prevent relapse and consolidate the gains attained during the action phase. For addictive behaviors this stage extends from six months to an indeterminate period/ongoing.
• Termination - individuals have zero temptation and 100% self-efficacy. They are certain that they won’t return to their old unhealthy habits, as a way of coping.
In addition, the researchers conceptualized "relapse" which is not a stage in itself but rather the "return from action or maintenance to an earlier stage." Of note; these 6 stages are not linear and sequential. You may begin at the action stage, move to maintenance then revert to pre-contemplation etc. Any of the stages can occur in any order. However, for the purposes of this article, we will assume the stages are linear.
What “stage of change” were you in when you made you last or current New Years’ Resolution? Often both a counselor and client, set goals, and assume that they are both in the Action phase, ready to move forward. Daily, clients tell me “I need to job search.” It would be a mistake for me to assume they are in the action phase, without assessing them further. Recently, I had a perfect example of this Change model. One of my former clients reconnected and called me, after a six month absence. Six months earlier, he attended of my most popular workshops “Accessing the Hidden Job Market.” Many professionals attend this workshop and almost all report that they intend to job search. The workshop is very interactive and includes the techniques to help you job search and recession-proof your career. I provide handouts of my power-point slides, for clients’ future reference.
The client who reconnected with me, had reread my handouts the previous week and decided to contact me. His first statement was,
“I’m sorry, I haven’t contacted you sooner, I’m sorry to say I haven’t begun my job search, yet. I know what I need to do, I just haven’t done it.”
He felt embarrassed and guilty. It could very well be, that this young professional, was not in the action stage when he took my workshop. He was probably in the preparation stage and attending the workshop, was a way to learn about next steps. Additionally, having worked with this client before, I knew that his job-loss was traumatic and sudden. It was also his first, professional job. Very likely, he needed this time to process, the emotional baggage associated with this loss. In our virtual phone session, I provided him with a “job search tune up” and helped him reframe his situation. This understanding of the stages of change, had an immediate and positive impact.
Facing change is scary and takes a lot of courage...Sometimes, you just need a bit of encouragement...
Let’s say your resolution last year, was to eat healthy. You had a vague idea about what this entailed, but no specific goals. When, you didn’t accomplish this, your mistaken perception was that of “failure.” Ask yourself if you really failed? If you didn’t have specific and measureable goals, how do you know you failed? If you had some goals, were they achievable? Actionable? How did you prepare for this challenge? What timeline did you use to judge success or failure? How rigid was your criteria? Was your definition of success black or white, all or nothing?
Any of us who have ever dieted, know that the stages of change are not always linear. You may take one step forward and one step back. In fact, the Stages of Change addresses what we commonly refer to as “failure” or “relapse.” Maybe you were on a diet, when you secretly devoured an 800 calorie, jumbo, slice of cheesecake. You do not need to make your relapse complete and devour the entire cake. Instead of considering this a “failure” and triggering a cycle or recriminations and self-loathing, think of this as a "return from action or maintenance to an earlier stage." Hopefully, you can restart the process again at preparation, action or even the maintenance stages. People who have relapsed may need to learn to anticipate high-risk situations. It is possible to step back, and stop, despite this misstep.
A resolution, for the most part is a sign that you are in one of the first 3 stages of change. Think about the massive spike in gym and health club memberships each January. How many of these new members even go? How many made the mistake of thinking they were in the action phase? Think about how quiet the gym is, around March. Within 3 months, more than 75% of resolutions to work out/exercise – crash and burn.
Healthy goals – for 2010. Give yourself a break.
• What about taking the time this year, to acknowledge your resolutions for what they are – simply an idea or intention for the future.
• What about allowing yourself to work your way through the stages of change at your own pace?
• What about praising and encouraging yourself through-out the process?
• What about not obsessing with the end-result?
As a society, North Americans are goal-obsessed. What about looking on the positive side. If you had a New Years resolution last year, you may have worked your way through 2 additional stages of change in the past year.
If so, then January 2010, may be the month you reach the “action stage!”