Stages of Change

Stages of Change:

Seeking help through therapy may be a hard thing to do. It is important to remember that when dealing with a behavior in life that you may need to change, everyone goes through stages of change. They might go through them quickly or it might take longer for some people. Some people regress and that is OK too. Keep in mind that every person is different and that we all move through the stages of change at our own pace.

Precontemplation:

The first stage is precontemplation, the individual thinks that there is not a problem and that their behaviors are not an issue, because of this, this is the stage where the individual doesn’t want help. The individual is usually not aware that there is a problem or a need for change, individuals only seek help in this stage if someone else encourages it or pressures them.

Contemplation:

The second stage contemplation is where the individual is more aware of their behaviors and the consequences they might face. The individual is considering change and is open to getting help but do not see a solution to the problem. This might be the stage that the individual is at when they decide to seek help through therapy.

Preparation:

Preparation is the third stage. This is where the individual is making plans to take action to change. They might be researching different ideas of what they can do to help themselves.

Action:

The fourth stage is the action stage. This is where the individual believes that they can change and they are actively working towards making that change. This can be the shortest stage and it also requires the most commitment of the individuals time and effort to change.

Maintenance:

The last state is the maintenance stage. This is where you’re maintaining the behavior change. This is where the individual needs to be able to avoid temptations and not return to their previous behaviors. This is also the stage where an individual will need to be committed to maintaining the change to prevent relapse.

Again, remember that is normal to regress and that this can be a normal part of behavior change.