From Stuck to Strong: How Therapy Supports Change

By: MaCae Bairett, MFT Student Intern


Changing habits, like exercising more, eating healthier, or improving overall wellness, is often more complicated than simply deciding to do it. In psychology, one of the most helpful frameworks for understanding this is the Stages of Change. Developed by Prochaska and DiClemente, this model identifies stages people typically pass through in making lasting change

Below I will walk through the stages using getting healthier (working out, eating better, and similar lifestyle shifts) as the running example, then show how therapy can support someone in each stage, including how to handle maintenance and relapse.

What Are the Stages of Change?

According to this Model, there are usually five main stages. Sometimes a sixth stage called “termination” or “relapse and recycling” is included.

The stages are:

  1. Precontemplation: Not yet considering change and may not see a problem
  2. Contemplation: Thinking about change, feeling ambivalent, weighing pros and cons
  3. Preparation: Deciding to change soon, making plans, and taking small steps
  4. Action: Actively making changes such as regular workouts or new food habits
  5. Maintenance: Sustaining the new behavior over time until it becomes more automatic

Some versions also include:

  1. Relapse or Recycling: Returning to old behavior at least temporarily. This is not failure but part of many people’s paths
  2. Termination: At this point, the change is fully ingrained and temptation or lapse is rare.

Example: Getting Healthier

Imagine someone wants to get healthier by working out regularly, eating more vegetables, and improving energy.

  1. Precontemplation: They do not exercise and may think it is too hard. They might feel fine with current habits and do not believe change is necessary.
  2. Contemplation: They start thinking, “Maybe I should work out. People who exercise seem healthier. But I do not have time, it is hard, and I am not sure I will stick with it.”
  3. Preparation: They buy gym shoes, check out workout plans, visit a gym once or twice, or research healthy recipes.
  4. Action: They begin a routine such as going to the gym three times a week, cooking healthier meals, and cutting back on junk food.
  5. Maintenance: After several months, the routine feels more natural. They continue even when busy, prepare food in advance, and reward themselves for staying consistent.
  6. Relapse: They skip workouts, stop meal planning, or slip back into old habits. This is common. Learning how to get back on track is part of the process.

How Therapy Helps Through the Stages

Therapy, especially approaches like Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can play a crucial role in helping people move through the stages and stay in the maintenance stage.

See diagram for how therapy can help at each stage

Stages of Change Infographic

Maintenance and Relapse: Learning to Bounce Back

One of the hardest parts of behavior change is maintaining new habits over the long term and responding well when relapse occurs. Therapy contributes here in vital ways:

  • Reframing Relapse: Therapy helps people see relapse not as failure but as learning. Clients explore what triggered it, what can be done differently, and how to adjust goals or expectations. This reduces shame and discouragement.
  • Sustained Support: Regular check-ins, accountability, and ongoing self-monitoring (journals, apps, or group support) help keep new behaviors steady. Therapy may continue with less frequency but remains available as needed.
  • Building Resilience: Therapists guide clients in developing problem-solving skills, strengthening coping strategies, and practicing self-compassion. This equips people to handle future stressors with greater confidence.
  • Celebrating Growth: Even small steps forward are acknowledged and reinforced, reminding clients how far they have come. Recognizing progress builds motivation and reinforces the belief that lasting change is possible.

Ultimately, therapy helps clients see that change is not about perfection but about persistence. With the right tools and support, setbacks become stepping-stones, and long-term health and well-being remain within reach.

Tying It Together: Therapy and Lasting Healthy Change

To sum up, changing to a healthier lifestyle is not usually linear. People move forward, sometimes back, and sometimes stall, but therapy can help smooth the path. The stages of change provide a map of where someone is, what support they need next, and what to anticipate. Therapy helps in many ways:

  • Matching interventions to where someone actually is rather than pushing for action too soon
  • Building motivation, confidence, and planning skills
  • Supporting maintenance and resilience after setbacks

Conclusion

If you are trying to get healthier, start with understanding what stage you are in. Are you still in precontemplation, unsure and unmotivated? Are you in action, making real changes? Or are you working to maintain without slipping back? Therapy is not a one size fits all push. It is a tailored support system that meets you where you are, helps you build skills, and gives you tools for staying on track.

Relapse is not a failure. It is part of the journey. What therapy can help you develop is resilience, the ability to refocus, adjust, and keep moving forward.

By: MaCae Bairett, MFT Student Intern

Specializing in anxiety, ADHD, and the relational patterns that impact emotional well-being.

Change is rarely a straight path, and it takes courage to move through the stages—especially when setbacks happen. Therapy provides a safe and supportive space to explore barriers, strengthen motivation, and develop strategies for lasting growth. At Therapy for Families, with locations in League City, The Woodlands, and Midland, Texas, we are here to walk alongside you in that journey. Our team offers support not only for couples working on their relationships but also for individuals, teens, and families navigating challenges such as anxiety, ADHD, trauma, grief, life transitions, and more. Whether you are just beginning to consider change or working to maintain new habits, we provide tailored counseling services—from marriage counseling and play therapy to stress management and coping skills—to help you create meaningful, sustainable progress. Visit Therapy for Families & ADHD & Neurofeedback Clinic to learn how we can support you in every stage of change.