• Move from one stage to the other is measured as a decrease of one point.
• Total change in dynamic factor is added together.
• Sum of the all change points is taken as measure of change.
• Total change in dynamic factor is added together.
• Sum of the all change points is taken as measure of change.
In addition, according to the Transtheoretical Model of Change, the client's ideal behaviours at each stage of change should be matched with appropriate intervention: the responsivity principle. As such, assessment of the client's stage of change also identifies the most appropriate therapeutic approach to take. A brief summary of therapist tasks that correspond to each stage of change follows:
- Pre-contemplation
- Pre-contemplation
The therapist should: focus on developing a working alliance, enhancing motivation for change and engagement in treatment; raise doubts and create dissonance regarding the client's current functioning and his hopes of achieving future goals; use cost-benefit analyses to highlight the cost of criminal behaviour.
- Contemplation
The therapist should: tip decisional balance; evoke reasons to change in order to reduce dissonance; strengthen the client's confidence to effect change (i.e. increase self-efficacy).
- Preparation
The therapist should assist the client in: determining the best course of action to change; setting and achieving shorter-term behavioral goals that are planned, observable, measurable and relevant; highlighting successes and emphasizing change potential.
- Action
This is the main skill-teaching and skill-building phase of treatment. The therapist should assist the client in strengthening skills through over practice and reinforce client's self-efficacy in problem-solving and
achieving treatment goals.
- Maintenance
The therapist should: assist and encourage the client to practice and generalize learned skills to new and challenging situations by providing access to such situations; identify strategies and interventions to prevent lapses and relapses. Obviously, strengthening and reinforcing the client's self-efficacy is important whenever the client takes steps to make changes, regardless of the stage of change.
The therapist should: assist and encourage the client to practice and generalize learned skills to new and challenging situations by providing access to such situations; identify strategies and interventions to prevent lapses and relapses. Obviously, strengthening and reinforcing the client's self-efficacy is important whenever the client takes steps to make changes, regardless of the stage of change.
