Counseling is an idea that has been with us for quite a long time. It is a learning-oriented process involving two parties: a person in need of change and a concerned person. In counseling, one can understand oneself, build one’s potential, create awareness on opportunities and more specifically, to establish formal guidance (Koyun & M. Prochaska, 2015) . All over the globe, there has always been and still happens that people need to be assisted by others to solve their problems regarding finding ways to deal with issue s affecting them. These issues may result from economic and social changes that affect the daily living of an individual and therefore need to promote counseling to boost the well-being of the person. Change, therefore, is a step-by-step process that a client has to go through to realize the difference.
How does change occur in a client?
Counseling involves taking a client through careful steps with the aim of evoking change. As much as strategies may differ, all focus on the primary objective of attaining change. They rely on the client willingness and determination to change and thus are not independent, When a client is fully aware of the whole process and is ready to turn, then he or she has to undergo stages of change (Koyun & M. Prochaska, 2015).
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Pre-contemplation
The initial stage involves the client not acknowledging that there is a behavioral abnormality that needs to change. The client, therefore, is not taking the idea of change seriously and do not want to be part of any action aiming at changing that behavior instead, they would vehemently defend that issue. The client has little focus on stopping and are not ready to indulge in discussion with anybody. Thus, this stage is the denial stage. In this stage, for change to take place, the counselor, therefore, needs to identify the problem, creation of problem between rationalization and reason, making the client be aware of the risks with the current behavior and preparing them to move to the contemplation stage. Once the client is now cognizant that indeed a problem exists, then he or she is ready for the next step.
Contemplation stage
The second stage involves the client being aware of the problems and the outcome of a particular behavior. At this level, one dedicates more time in thinking about the issue. However, there could still be signs of ambivalence. They are still not entirely convinced and thus still weighing on the disadvantages and advantages of stopping that behavior or adjustments that are accompanying it. However. As much as they brainstorm of the negative aspects of their unacceptable practice, and the advantages of giving up the habit, they may still be in doubt that the lasting benefits of giving up the activity outweigh the short-term benefits. Therefore, for change to occur, the counselor needs to understand the benefits that will come with the shift. Also, articulate the cons, gather past attempts by the client to change, explore the options that the client considers in case of change and prepare the client to make change statements and commit himself/ herself to the whole process of change.
Preparation and determination
At this level, the client is aware that the change process is inevitable and therefore commits to making the change. Their conviction to change exhibits itself through their use of statements such as: “I have to make this change happen, am ready for this. Is there anything I can do to help this?” The progress now starts, and the client begins to focus on strategies little-by-little towards ceasing their current behavior. They will involve their selves in finding a plan and resources that will assist them in transforming. Whoever will be taking the client through this process needs to understand the level of client commitment, identify the barriers that could counter change, develop coping behaviors and assure the client that they will go through the whole process. By the end of this, an action plan comes to life, and the client is ready to proceed to the following stage to make these pans realistic.
Action/ Willpower
This stage involves the client ability to accept that indeed change can be real and the ability to make it successful lies within them. Thus, the client is aware that he or she needs to act using a certain technique that best fits the situation. The client, in this stage, should take a short time but, again, will highly depend on his/her willpower to embrace change. They analyze their level of commitment psychologically and emotionally while trying to understand outside factors that influence them that may result in their return back to their behaviors. It could also involve rewards to motivate them and are therefore open and willing to receive assistance. The person assisting in this change should reaffirm commitment to the process, provide successful models, and focus on successful activities. Once there are clear changes in behavior and the chances of relapse reduce as the new habit replaces the old behavior, then change has taken place, and therefore the last process maintains that change.
Maintenance
Maintenance stage involves avoiding and preventing any temptations from falling back into old habits. The phase includes people thinking considerably of the achievement of success and therefore need to restructure and develop new ideas to help them not ever go back to their old habits. Their status quo changes and thus strive for a worthy life, as a result, develop virtues like patience with themselves.
Why would Therapy help you?
The time one spends with a therapist is significant in several ways in trying to bring out the desirable outcomes through understanding existing problems and generating solutions to fix the issue and promoting the recovery. Therapy is therefore helpful in so many ways.
Therapy helps one in developing new perspectives concerning life and contemporary skills (Bernard, 2013). In this manner, one under goes a process of developing a positive mindset and thus gaining new styles and ways of alienating themselves from routine and frequent patterns of sorrow, apprehension, and self-criticism along with destructive emotions and thoughts.
Therapy is a solution to counter addictive behaviors. By engaging specialists on a personal level, one can receive advice on how to abandon habits that affect one’s life. These activities include substance and drug abuse, relationship problems, eating disorders and many more issues that can impact one negatively.
It will also assist in identifying better ways of handling sufferings that affect an individual’s emotions. By doing so, one can avoid undesirable behavior or act in an irrational manner (Bernard, 2013). It will bring out the virtue of wisdom and develop compassion despite going through difficult challenges thus help alleviate the suffering resulting from anger and depression.
Therapy will help better relationships. More so, this is achievable through individual or group therapy, therefore, helping one develop health and life-benefiting behaviors which then will result in boosting the way people relate with their associates, colleagues, friends and the society. Moreover, one will develop a sense of belonging and love from those who are close to him.
Regaining a sense of self-responsibility and empowerment will also come on the way as a result of therapy. It will create some self-awareness which guides one to be responsible with his or her life and develop strong focus despite the challenges that he or she may undergo therefore eliminating a possibility of one feeling helpless and pessimistic about life and the surroundings (Bernard, 2013).
Conclusion
Evoking change in an individual requires several and careful steps depending on the circumstances affecting the individual at that point. Counseling is a source of change that can help in transforming the life of that person without using persuasion, confrontations or coercion which in any case will not be able to achieve more. It is on a personal level and an individual’s choice to resolve to change. Furthermore , therapy is an efficient way to turn somebody around to a better life.
References
Koyun, A., & M. Prochaska, J. (2015). The Stages of change Regarding Smoking Cessation Behavior: A Concept Analysis. International refereed journal of nursing researches , (5), 81-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.17371/uhd.2015514476
Short, F., & Thomas, P. (2015). Core approaches to counseling and psychotherapy . London: Routledge.
