Transteoric Model

From the question "What makes people change when they try to change some undesirable or problematic situation ?, James Prochaska and Carlo Diclemente created a model to try to understand what, how, when and why people change. Through research focused on studying the phenomenon of intentional change, they developed their transtheoric model, composed of stages, processes and levels.

The Stages of Change

Stages represent the time dimension, that is, when people change. When helping someone you should consider the particular moment in which you are. It is postulated that to achieve change, a person must go through well-defined and predictable stages, which must be respected to facilitate the process.

To achieve success in change, it is crucial to know in which stage the person is in relation to his problem, in order to design specific procedures that suit each subject. In other words, what is sought is the therapeutic relationship and the type of intervention appropriate for each person depending on the stage in which they are.

Pre contemplation

The patient is likely to come from external constriction (court order, family, etc.), expressing denial of the problem and not really considering the change. The risk of abandonment varies between 40% and 60%, and even 80% in cases related to substance use.

Contemplation

The subject acknowledges having a problem, is more receptive to the information regarding their problem and possible solutions, although hesitates as to when to start the change, still doubting about its benefits.

Preparation

At this stage the person is ready for the performance, having taken some steps towards the goal.

Action

It refers to the moment when the steps taken to achieve change become more evident. Its duration is 6 months.

Maintenance

It continues the action and lasts another 6 months, the purpose in this stage is to sustain the changes achieved through the modification of the lifestyle to the prevention of relapses.