Counseling – Definition of Success

Keep in mind when you are counseling that your recommendations to take folic acid may not motivate someone to take multivitamins immediately, but it may make him/her consider taking folic acid.

You may recall the “Stages of Change” model developed by DiClemente and Prochaska that states that individuals must go through five stages before adopting a behavior change:

• pre-contemplation,

• contemplation,

• preparation,

• action, and

• maintenance.

Consider yourself a counseling success when you move the patient to the next stage and continue working with the individual during each additional encounter.

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