3 Common Barriers to Behavior Change

3 Barriers Preventing Change

There is a theme that runs constant in therapy; no matter what it is specifically you are struggling with, therapy focuses on what you can do to change. However, the role of a therapist is to reflect to you how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are preventing you from change – not actually make the change for you. Here are three examples of barriers that prevent change from taking place:

  1. “I’ve already changed enough” – Some people feel change is finite – that once you have already made some changes there is no more work to do. However, this is not the way life works! There are always going to be unexpected life events that force change and growth. It is important to be flexible and open-minded in order to be able to cope with new challenges and grow.

2. “I can’t” – Negative self-talk is one of the biggest ways to keep yourself stuck. If you start to pay attention to your thoughts and notice a lot of negativity – you are probably keeping yourself from change. If you catch yourself saying “I can’t”, try and balance the thought out with something positive – remind yourself of something you can do or something you feel good about!

3. “It’s happening to me” – This is the idea that change is out of your control. When it comes to how OTHER people behave – you would be right! No one can control what someone else does, however you can control or change how you respond to these people. You have full control and responsibility over your behaviors. So, if you are finding that you are placing blame outside of yourself, do a bit more reflection and think about what is possible for you to do differently in the situation.

It may be time to learn how therapy can help you change.

These are just a few examples of how you may be preventing your own change and growth. Always remind yourself that you are capable of change as long as you want it and are motivated! The reasons may vary, and what holds you back may be deep rooted, but anything is possible when you are honest with yourself.

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