Stages of Change
What Is the Stages of Change Model?
The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) — commonly called the “Stages of Change” — is a well-established framework for understanding how people overcome addiction or other challenging behaviors.
According to Dr. Marsha Linehan, the developer of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), there are different stages of change measured with DBT. Here at Avalon Malibu, our trained staff adheres to Dr. Linehan's theories by helping the client to boost their motivation and change their behavior by applying the skills and principles of DBT.
Rather than assuming change happens overnight, TTM recognizes that recovery is a gradual, often non-linear process: individuals may progress, pause, or even relapse before consolidating healthier habits.
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The Stages of Change Are:
Precontemplation - The individual does not yet recognize their behavior as a problem, or is unwilling/unready to make changes.
Contemplation - Awareness begins — the person acknowledges potential problems and considers change, though ambivalence remains.
Preparation - The person intends to act soon (often within 30 days), starts planning concrete steps toward change.
Action - Active behavior change begins: detox, therapy, new routines, sobriety efforts.
Maintenance - New behaviors are sustained over time; relapse prevention and stabilization of lifestyle changes.
Why Avalon Malibu Uses It
At Avalon Malibu, we believe recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all. The Stages of Change model helps us:
- Tailor treatment individually. By assessing a client’s readiness to change, we align interventions — from motivational interviewing and counseling to skill-based therapies — with their current mindset.
- Respect the pace of change. Recognizing that recovery is rarely linear, we allow clients to progress at their own rhythm, with flexibility for setbacks or relapse.
- Support long-term recovery. Through maintenance planning, aftercare, and relapse-prevention strategies, we aim to help clients sustain growth and integrate recovery into everyday life.
What to Expect at Each Stage
- Precontemplation → Contemplation: Gentle engagement, awareness-building, motivational support, psychoeducation.
- Preparation → Action: Intake assessments, personalized care plans, therapy introduction (individual, group, or holistic), possibly detox or stabilization.
- Action → Maintenance: Skills training (coping, resilience, emotion regulation), relapse-prevention planning, therapy transitions (e.g. from intensive to aftercare).
How it Fits with Other Therapies
The Stages of Change model is not a therapy in itself, but a framework: it guides when and how therapeutic interventions — like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), or individual counseling — are applied. For example, DBT skills training may begin once a client enters the “Action” stage, while MI or motivational support may be more appropriate earlier on.
This ensures that therapy aligns with not only clinical needs, but also with the client’s readiness and willingness — enhancing engagement, retention, and long-term success.
What Does the Use of DBT Mean for the Well-Being of Our Clients?
“Dialectic” means weighing and integrating contradictory ideas and facts to help resolve thoughts and feelings that, on the surface, appear to be opposites. In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy at Avalon Malibu, therapists and clients work hard to find harmony between change and acceptance, two seemingly contradictory forces or strategies. Therapists balance the use of acceptance (we accept that we possess addictive behaviors) and change (we know we need to change our behaviors to reach our goal of sobriety). This symmetry is required to maintain forward movement in the client’s health and recovery and allows for greater improvements in functioning and social adjustments. This will help them in life outside of therapy, as everyone struggles to find balance in their actions, feelings, and thoughts. Our staff works to integrate both passionate feelings and logical thoughts into treatment so that the whole person is healed.
When working with DBT therapies and substance dependent individuals, our clients have seen a significant reduction in the use of illicit substances, measured by both structured interviews and urinalysis during treatment and aftercare.
Avalon Malibu’s team of experts first get the client’s actions under control, then help them to feel more prepared to resolve problems effectively. Our full range of cognitive and behavioral therapies are integrated into the treatment and supported by Avalon's beautiful seaside environment, luxurious surroundings, and holistic therapies.
Who Leads the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy at Avalon Malibu?
The Avalon Malibu staff is here to open the door for our clients to discover new capabilities and assist in structuring their treatment programs. It should be noted that in dialectical behavioral therapy, the individual therapist is in charge of this treatment. That means it is the individual therapist’s job to coordinate the treatment with other treatment team members, such as leaders in the skills groups, other psychiatrists, and wellness counselors. In collaboration with the client, the therapist keeps track of how the treatment is progressing, how everyone involved in the treatment is doing, and whether or not this treatment is helping the client reach his or her goals. Our ultimate goal is to make sure therapists treat the client effectively according to his or her needs.
