New Year's Resolutions: A Venue for Behavior Modification Part II
Hello Everyone:
In our last Blog Post, we visited the concept of New Year's Resolutions. We realized that resolutions begin a process of change. They are not to be interpreted as a one time event. We will continue this topic through this Blog Post.
As many of you know, I am the Professor of Human Services at the American Pathways University. It is a small school that seven Christian Based Organizations founded more than a decade ago. Our quest, perhaps struggle for the trappings of validity are on going, as we are in the constant process of becoming tenured.
I train Colorado State Approved curricula for Credentialing in the area of Behavioral Modification. particularly trauma Informed/Specific Care and Addiction Rehabilitation. One of the categories (skills sets) I facilitate is entitled Motivational Interviewing, authored by Miller and Rollnick. Among other things, this class incorporates Stages of change, as presented by Prochascka and DiClemente. Their theory informs our capacity to understand change as a multi-step process, not a one time event.
One of the points in the change process is called the Decision to Change (DTC). This is when our clients resolve their issues to the point where they can think about change more than resisting the need to change. When we pass the DTC point, we enter into the role of moving from a decision to mastering a decision to change.
When we commit to a decision to change, it does not mean that we have perfected a new process. It means that we are beginning the journey toward mastering or perfecting this process. When we listen to our clients, it is clear that none of us change over night ... not our clients, not you and certainly not me.
A Decision to Change (DTC) is like a New Year's Resolution. It implies a commitment to change a habit and/or behavior. It is not an indication that we have mastered the new behavior or habit. That comes with time.
More to Come....
Love...."M"