When you show up for therapy, it’s natural to assume you are ready to change, right? Otherwise, why would you be paying a therapist to help you work toward a solution? However, sometimes after a few sessions, you may find your motivation is uneven and you aren’t sure you want to do the work involved in getting better and changing your life. That’s where an innovative style of counseling called Motivational Interviewing can help you move through the stages of change.

Stages of Change

If you are wondering what’s going on and asking yourself, “Why aren’t I doing the things I know I need to do to get better?,” then you are perfectly normal. Research indicates there are five stages that indicate readiness for change and most people move between them when working on achieving any goal. The five stages of change are:

1. Pre-contemplation – you have no intention to take action and may be uninformed about the consequences of your behavior. This is also called “denial” in ordinary language.
2. Contemplation – you become aware a problem exists and intend to change but have not yet made a commitment to take action.
3. Preparation – you are intending to take action in the next month, may have already tried to change, and may have a plan of action in mind.
4. Action – you are beginning to make overt behavioral or environmental changes.
5. Maintenance – you are working to prevent relapse and maintain gains.

Strategies Need to Match the Stage You Are In

Most clients, when they first see a professional, are not at the action stage. About 80% are in one of the first three stages and only 20% are in action or maintenance. Resistance to change arises when you and the therapist assume you are in the action stage and start making an action plan to get things done when, in reality, you are not there yet. Instead, it would be better to take a less aggressive approach, acknowledge what stage you are in, and modify homework assignments accordingly.

What Can You Do to Increase Your Readiness to Change?

There is a counseling approach called Motivational Interviewing (MI) that is defined as a “client-centered, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.” In Motivational Interviewing, ambivalence is regarded as a normal part of the change process. MI can increase motivation in the early stages by helping you understand why you want to change. MI can then be followed with cognitive behavioral exercises in the action stage to help you acquire the skills for change.

Principles of Motivational Interviewing

One of the major goals of MI is to help you start thinking about and talking about change before taking action. Talking about your desire and intent to change can be a powerful predictor of change. There are 4 major strategies that the counselor uses to encourage change talk:

1. Expressing empathy – using reflective listening to convey understanding of your message.
2. Developing discrepancy – between the your most deeply held values and the current behavior you want to change.
3. Supporting self-efficacy – building confidence that change is possible.
4. Rolling with resistance – meeting resistance with reflection rather than confrontation.

Getting Started with the Process of Change

So even if you are not yet in the action stage, Motivational Interviewing can get you ready for change. If you are interested in reaching a goal this year, maybe the best way to do so is to start with Motivational Interviewing.

How to Get Help in Saratoga/San Jose

The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley offers Motivational Interviewing as a precursor to engaging in action-oriented CBT. The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center is located at 12961 Village Drive in Saratoga. We are just a 1/2 mile from Highway 85 and the Saratoga Avenue exit. You can contact us (408) 384-8404 for mrs information about how we can help you start the process of change.