Stages of Change

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in Richard D. Parsons Thinking and Acting Like an Eclectic School Counselor

5 Stages of Change:

1. Precontemplation (d/n believe problem exists, d/n see need for change) (sw must suspend engaging in problem-solving actions and instead try to raise awareness)
2. Contemplation (aware that problem exists, have given it serious thought, but not ready for action, might continue to engage in problematic behavior)
3. Preparation (getting ready, might have taken small steps, might not know how to change, might be anxious about changing)
4. Action (student needs to get here for the counseling to be effective)
5. Maintenance (working to prevent relapse, follow-up sessions are essential)

10 Process of Change:

1. Experiential Processes (targeting the way students think and feel)
1. Consciousness Raising: making students aware that there is a problem >> strategies include providing information, corrective feedback, psycho-education, bibliotherapy ->> e.g., student says he d/n care he has bad grades, and you point out that if he d/n start to care he might not get into college >>> Precontemplation, Contemplation
2. Dramatic Relief: processes which facilitate the student’s experience and expression of his feelings and emotions relating to the problem behavior >> sometimes these happen naturally, e.g., students receives college rejection letter and realizes the consequence of their actions >> e.g., storytelling (counselor tells a story that jolts student, e.g., student who says she’s okay drinking and driving, counselor tells story of another student who did the same thing and got into accident, this story shocks first student) >>> Precontemplation
3. Self-Evaluation: the student considers the pros and cons of changing his behavior >> strategies include value-clarification exercises, identifying healthy role models, and guided imagery (“Let’s imagine what life would be like if you decided to tell your friends and family that you’re gay”) >>> Contemplation
4. Environmental Evaluation: sometimes students persist in a behavior b/c they don’t see how the behavior impacts those they care about >> this process helps students to see how the problem impacts those they care about >> e.g., empathy training, getting student to see how others feel when they’re teased.
5. Self-Liberation: “heighten student’s belief that both the desired outcome is possible, and that he or she is capable of engaging in those activities required to be successful” >> “Students who are ready for action often need to articulate a step-by-step plan of how they will accomplish their goals >>> Preparation
2. Behavioral Processes
1. Helping Relationships: A “caring, unconditional valuing and genuine helping relationship” helps students to “feel free to disclose” and to be “open to corrective feedback” >> SW can help students find other social supports. >>> Action, Maintenance
2. Counterconditioning: teaching students to replace problem behaviors w/ healthy behaviors >> interventions include “relaxation training, systematic desensitization, assertion training, and positive self-statements” >> e.g., student who used to have temper tantrums learns to simply stop-plop-relax >>> Action, Maintenance
3. Contingency Management: providing bad consequences to the student for engaging in bad behavior and good consequences for good behavior. >>> Action, Maintenance
4. Stimulus Control. The “process in which the individual needs to remove any stimuli associated w/ the problem behavior and replace it w/ prompts to participate in healthy behaviors” >> e.g., restructuring environment so student is no longer sitting w/ troublemakers >>> Action, Maintenance
5. Social Liberation: “Creating policies and programs that support the healthier behavior as the norm”