Stages of Change

Clients affected by problem gambling are often not ready or able to acccept that they have a problem.

Your ability to help your client change their gambling behaviour will be greater if you:

  • understand your client's current stage of change
  • match your support and professional responses to the stage that they are currently in

Adapted from Prochaska & DiClemente (1983, 1988) [fn] Prochaska, JO & DiClemente, CC 1983, ‘Stages and processes of self-change in smoking: towards an integrative model of change’, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, vol. 51, pp. 390-55.[/fn] [fn]Prochaska, JO & DiClemente, CC 1988, ‘Toward a comprehensive model of change’, in WR Miller and N Heather (eds), Treating Addictive Behaviours, Plenum Press, New York [/fn] [fn]Prochaska, JO, Velicer, WF, Rossi, JS, Goldstein, MG, Marcus, BH, Rakowski, W, Fiore, C, Harlow, LL, Redding, CA, Rosenbloom, D & Rossi, SR 1994 ‘Stages of Change and decisional balance for 12 problem behaviours’, Health Psychology, vol. 13, pp. 39-46.[/fn]

 

Lapse

Your client may lapse at any state into an earlier stage

  • 1 Pre-contemplation

    "I don't have a problem"

    Your client is not ready to change their behaviour

    The pre-contemplator believes that gambling is the best choice they have in terms of their model of the world and their available choices.

    In this stage, the person recognises that they gamble but they do not view their gambling as being problematic.

    If told that they have a problem, your client may be surprised rather than defensive.

    Click here for information on strategies for working with the pre-contemplative client.

  • 2 Contemplation

    "I know I have a problem and need to change. I will do something about it, one day"

    Your client is considering change, but not yet committed to it

    This stage is characterised by ambivalence. The contemplator both considers change and rejects it. If allowed to talk without interference, the contemplator will go back and forth between reasons for concern and justifications for not being concerned.

    Although they think about the negative aspects of their bad habit and the positives associated with giving it up (or reducing), they may doubt that the long-term benefits associated with quitting will outweigh the short-term costs.

    Click here for information on strategies for working with the contemplative client.

  • 3 Determination

    "Yes I have a problem and I need to do something to change - now"

    Your client has made up their mind and decided to do something

    This is when people make up their minds and decide to do something. This window of opportunity opens for a limited time-period. If the client moves into action, the process continues. If not, they lapse back into contemplation.

    Click here for information on strategies for working with the determined client.

  • 4 Action

    "I am doing something to change my behaviour now"

    Your client is beginning to work on solving their gambling problem

    It is important that the person gets a package of strategies that they can use to help them change their behaviour.

    Click here for information on strategies for working with the active client.

  • 5 Maintenance

    "After the event, I realised I had never thought of"

    Your client has found all the things they need to do to change their behaviour and started to put this into practice

    What is needed at this stage is practice and more practice. The new behaviours need to become a habit. The client is well on the way to a successful change.

    Click here for information on strategies for working with the maintaining client.

  • 6 Lapse/Relapse

    "I couldn't do it after all"

    Your client lapses into problem gambling behaviour; if they see this as a failure on their part, this can turn into a relapse

    This stage is a common part of the change process. Rather than looking at a lapse as a failure, look at it as part of the process. If your client can use it to examine what needs to be done, they can often avoid a relapse.

    Click here for information on strategies for working with the lapsed client.

     

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