Freedom to Change | Right Mind Psychology

To maintain registration to practise as a psychologist in Australia, clinical psychologists must demonstrate by the end of each annual registration cycle they have met the standards of the profession in maintaining their clinical skills in line with current research. One way to do this is to attend regular workshops to learn from pioneers in the field the latest developments and how to apply these to benefit clients and enhance therapeutic outcomes.

I have held longstanding personal interest in the processes underlying psychological change. In particular, how change works and the necessary ingredients for successful psychotherapy―including actioning values and the attitudes brought to the therapy room, both topics of former posts. However, earlier this year I attended a training seminar by psychologist Pavel Somov from Pittsburgh, PA, in the United States, on another little understood element of change that if considered carefully should be of immense benefit to clients—freedom.

If you have read my blog post on Distress, Suffering and Resistance, you will be aware there is a simple mathematical equation that helps us understand the impact resistance has on consolidating suffering. In simple terms: The more we resist the inevitable pain in life, the greater suffering we experience. In this post I would like to highlight another equation that demonstrates the importance of freedom in the change process. The equation goes as follows:

Change = Reason + Freedom + Method

People usually know their reason for change. This is the “why” of change, which is usually understood as the central motivation behind our desire for change. For example, an overweight person who wishes to lose weight may give the reasons for change as:

– I want to be healthy
– I want to fit into my clothes
– I would like to live longer
– I’d like to be able to play sport with my children.

People often know or understand a method or procedure for change also, or at least might consult with a friend or psychologist if they don’t. This is the “how” of change, which usually requires us to undertake some new activity and develop new skills. In the example of weight loss above a method for change may include:

– Calorie (or carbohydrate) restriction
– Sleeping better
– Exercising

However, knowing the reason and method is not sufficient to meet the preconditions necessary for change to flow. In the absence of sufficient freedom to change, change is unlikely to proceed and we tend to fall back on will-power―the brute force approach. This is why change often seems like such hard work. But it gets worse. When there is limited freedom to change, we feel trapped and stuck―like being in a bottle―repeating the same unsuccessful processes and repeatedly failing. Recurrent failure to change using the brute force method can lead to negative feelings about oneself and a belief that change is impossible.

So, what inhibits freedom?

Freedom to change is inhibited by the way our brains work. Brains are designed to learn and learning requires attention and repetition (rehearsal). When we repeat patterns of behaviour, our brain locks these behaviours to make it easier for us the next time around. Over time, repeated patterns of thought and behaviour are rendered unconscious and automatic. This is how we learnt to walk, talk, and drive a car. This is brilliant if what gets locked is useful and functional but the brain has no way of judging this, only you do. The neurological assumption made is simply this: if a behaviour is repeated, it must be important. There’s a name for these locked-in behaviour patterns. We call them habits.

The fact we engage in patterns of behaviour that keep us stuck, repeating the same thing over and over, limits our freedom to change, regardless of how strong will-power might be. Patterns of non-functional behaviour are inherently entrapping. They lead to feelings and beliefs about our incompetence to change. In turn, such a perspective reinforces our stuckness and sense of being trapped. So, what is the solution? How can we enhance our freedom to change to bypass the stuckness that keeps us repeating non-functional behaviour?

An important preliminary step is to know what is going on at a brain level and stop beating yourself up about your difficulty in change to date. Next, it is important to work at pattern disruption. Anything you can do to stifle a pattern of behaviour that keeps you stuck is fair game for disruption. Let’s extend the weight loss example above. Suppose you recognise a pattern of behaviour where you typically eat while watching TV. What are the myriad ways in which you could disrupt this pattern? Here’s some ideas:

– Eat with the TV switched off
– Place the food in front of you but sit on your hands
– Change the seat you normally eat in
– Only eat during ad breaks
– Alter the viewing angle so you can barely see the picture
– Turn the volume down so you must fully attend to follow the story
– Drink a full glass of water between mouthfuls of food

In other words, pattern disruption is about not doing what you normally because what you normally do DOES NOT WORK. Make a commitment to not do what you know from your own experience doesn’t work. Almost any other behaviour is okay.

It is typically the case that you only need persist with pattern disruption until the urge associated with the patterned behaviour subsides. And it only needs to occur a few times for the pattern to begin to break down. As the habit breaks down, freedom to change increases.

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