6 INTERVENTIONS TO BRING ABOUT
POSITIVE PERSONAL CHANGE
I would like to share with you six simple interventions used in Solution Focused Brief Counselling which you can apply to bring about positive personal change. I have been using these simple but powerful interventions myself and have assisted others with effective results.
1) Reframing
(changing the way you see a potential problem situation.)
- For YOU : a
new view of the problem, of others involved, or of
yourself can prompt new, more advantageous behavior.
For others involved: a new view of the
situation, themselves, and/ or possibly of you may lead
to a more positive attitude toward you.
Look for responsibility in the
situation, not to place blame or guilt, but so you can
know what you can change. Leave the changing of
others to others. Just work on changing your perceptions,
attitudes and behavior. Others may respond positively or
not but you will see things from a different, more
positive perspective.
Identify FOR YOURELF a
new and more positive way to look at a problem or
situation, i.e. problems are opportunities to learn and
grow.
2) Interruption
(cut short and change the behavior that initiates the problem)
- Identify the behavior, perception or
attitude that leads up to the problem and then begin
making small changes in behavior (doing
something different) and watch the attitudes of yourself
and others change to a new, more positive way of
thinking and behaving. See if the problem doesn't start
to become an asset instead of a liability and begin to
cause less and less trouble in your life.
- Begin making small deliberate changes
and you will begin to notice a new you and the way you
see yourself, your life and,especially your relationships
with others.
- A minimal change can bring previously
"stuffed" feelings or habits which you were
barely aware of into a more active consciousness. Then
you can start working on changing the belief or feeling
and begin to activate positive changes in your life
that you previously thought impossible. The key is to
begin with small deliberate changes in thinking about and
in the actual "doing of the problem". Change
the "doing of the problem" before, during and
after and it won't be a problem anymore.
3) Be Curious
- Look for insight into the
"exceptional times" (when you "did it
right"), when things went well and/or that you did
something different, no matter how seemingly insignficant
at the time, that that was beneficial rather than harmful
in your life.
- These exceptions can give you self
knowledge about the successes of which you may have been
previously unaware. These exceptions can be acknowledged,
reinforced and built on. They can point you toward
further success. Success breeds success so you need to
know when you were successful.
4) Practicing
- Figure out what works for you and do
more of it - build on exceptions to problem or harmful
behavior, or on the prechange changes that had started
even before you are aware of the problem much less the
solution.
- Be aware of and start rehearsing those
small changes that are part of the exception (when things
worked for you) and you will begin to possess the
solution to making positive changes in your life and your
relationships will be much more satisfying and
fulfilling for you and the significant others in your life.
5) Imagining
- Act “as if”
the solution/goal has been achieved already.
- Acting “as if”
will allow you to behave differently, and it helps to ask
others look for differences in you, positive or negative,
and it can add some fun to the process.
Finally!!!
6) Do Something Different !!!
- If what you have been doing hasn't
worked DO SOMETHING different.
- The important this is to , do something (anything) but do something different !!!
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Modified September 16, 2001 Ricardo B. Serrano, R.Ac.
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