Elements for Intervention Strategies

Elements of Intervention Strategies

These are strategies which I commonly use with clients:

• guide the client through a guided imagery to experience intensely the emotions associated with achieving and/or not achieving the goal
• build an awareness and acceptance of how things will be, both en route, and when the goal is achieved
• suggest (following discussion) substitutes for current behaviour, where appropriate (some behaviours will not need substitutes)
• move the client further towards the ‘integrated’ end of the extrinsic continuum
• maximise intrinsic motivation
• suggest self-rewards if appropriate
• strengthen beliefs
• highlight the ways that the goal fits the client’s value system
• suggest (following discussions) ways to control stimuli
• work with pros and cons; presuming the client does want to go ahead, enhance pros, and minimise cons.
• if possible create awareness of a goal as being toward positivity and away from negativity
• maximise the client’s belief in their ability to succeed
• maximise task orientation (when appropriate)
• tie client’s identity in with end result and separate from current behaviour
• help the client to find ways over, under, around or through barriers, or to remove or reduce them
• assist the client in maximising their environment and support
• use ego-strengthening techniques and build on past successes
• boost feeling of control, and help them to have more in reality
• if motivation is high in other contexts, transfer it
• reduce perception of the strength of the habit
• assist the client towards internal attributions
• educate the client as to physiological processes
• address perceived competence/adequacy using the Harter model
• address self-esteem using the Shavelson model
• assist client to be aware of possible set-backs and how to deal with them