Freeze Phase Model of Change
3/7/10: I/O psychology focuses on organizational level change, and has produced a number of interesting models to approach the process. One of the most basic is also very applicable to individual level change, which I use to describe the counseling process. Kurt Lewin's "Freeze Phase Model" has three stages: unfreezing, transitioning, and crystallizing.
Unfreezing: The basic premise here is that at individual and group levels, we engage in patterns of behavior, communication, and ways of being in the world that create some kind of stasis (an equilibrium). This is resistant to change, even if there are clearly beneficial alternatives. For change to occur, there needs to be an unfreezing of this stasis, meaning a readiness and motivation to change. I see one of my jobs as a therapist as helping clients identify and unfreeze patterns and ways of being that are causing negative life experiences and emotions.
Transitioning: Once the unfreezing has occurred, new patterns and ways can be developed and put into action. In this phase of counseling, I collaborate with my clients to find things that are healthier alternatives or more productive strategies to living the life they want. Part of this stage is generally some stress and anxiety, and impulses to go back to the old way. In families or groups, this strain can be difficult to tolerate, and filled with moves from others to create guilt, anxiety, and anger. Another job I perform as a therapist is helping people stay actively engaged in the new ways, rather than slipping back, even in the midst of this storm and stress.
Crystallizing: This is the final phase of change, and represents a "refreezing" of the new patterns. It is important that the new things are not just identified, but practiced and integrated into daily life, or they will be less likely to hold over time. This part is what is missing from a lot of basic understanding about counseling, and one of the reasons longer term therapy is more predictive of success over time. The crystallizing phase can be seen as a stage of integration and making the changes that occurred permanent.
If you are in, or planing to go to counseling, consider these stages with you concerns, and make sure that if you are looking for more permanent changes and solutions, that you follow through until the crystallizing stage, or else it can be more difficult for the things you identify to hold over time. It is also important to note that there isn't a set number of sessions this could take, and the speed is contingent on level of motivation for change, quickness in developing and implementing the new ways, and history and complexity of the current patterns. For some people with some problems this could mean a handful or even one session, for others it could mean significantly more.
Unfreezing: The basic premise here is that at individual and group levels, we engage in patterns of behavior, communication, and ways of being in the world that create some kind of stasis (an equilibrium). This is resistant to change, even if there are clearly beneficial alternatives. For change to occur, there needs to be an unfreezing of this stasis, meaning a readiness and motivation to change. I see one of my jobs as a therapist as helping clients identify and unfreeze patterns and ways of being that are causing negative life experiences and emotions.
Transitioning: Once the unfreezing has occurred, new patterns and ways can be developed and put into action. In this phase of counseling, I collaborate with my clients to find things that are healthier alternatives or more productive strategies to living the life they want. Part of this stage is generally some stress and anxiety, and impulses to go back to the old way. In families or groups, this strain can be difficult to tolerate, and filled with moves from others to create guilt, anxiety, and anger. Another job I perform as a therapist is helping people stay actively engaged in the new ways, rather than slipping back, even in the midst of this storm and stress.
Crystallizing: This is the final phase of change, and represents a "refreezing" of the new patterns. It is important that the new things are not just identified, but practiced and integrated into daily life, or they will be less likely to hold over time. This part is what is missing from a lot of basic understanding about counseling, and one of the reasons longer term therapy is more predictive of success over time. The crystallizing phase can be seen as a stage of integration and making the changes that occurred permanent.
If you are in, or planing to go to counseling, consider these stages with you concerns, and make sure that if you are looking for more permanent changes and solutions, that you follow through until the crystallizing stage, or else it can be more difficult for the things you identify to hold over time. It is also important to note that there isn't a set number of sessions this could take, and the speed is contingent on level of motivation for change, quickness in developing and implementing the new ways, and history and complexity of the current patterns. For some people with some problems this could mean a handful or even one session, for others it could mean significantly more.
