How to Deal with Resistance to Change: A Conversation with David D. Burns

 

 

When helping someone overcome addiction, we often make the mistake of forcing them to do things against their will. Consequently, instead of becoming motivated, they become resistant to change. Before diving into different therapy tools to overcome addiction, the first thing we need to address is resistance.

In this episode, David D. Burns shares his expertise in psychiatry and behavioural science. He talks about practical ways on how to melt down our resistance to change. David also talks about his book, Feeling Good, and other recent advances in psychotherapy. He introduces the concepts of outcome resistance and process resistance and their importance in recovery.

Tune in and discover how to deal with resistance to change

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode

 

1.

David shares the IMPORTANCE of humour, storytelling and tears in his therapy and treatment.

 

 

2.

KNOW the reasons behind a person’s resistance to change and how to deal with them.

3.

OVERCOME your resistance to change by learning about the concepts of outcome resistance and process resistance.

Episode Highlights 

Learn More About This Exciting Episode

To learn more on how to deal with resistance to change, please sign-up to receive the show notes for this episode, and an incredible workbook designed to accentuate your learning on this topic.

"For me, when people recover from depression and, like yourself, when you get over alcohol, it’s a sudden brain switch. It happens like that, and that decision is made".

"People put all of their resources into stopping the addiction, like you just stop overeating, you diet, you exercise and you start losing weight, or you stop drinking for a while. But they don’t put enough resources into the long-term goal. And because the addictions, in fact, depression, anything, once you’ve recovered from it, it will try hard to return. And so relapse prevention training is as important as the initial decision to quit drinking or the initial treatment to get over depression".

"We can be drifting in and out of enlightenment and we get back to another vulnerable thing and we start beating up on ourselves again. It’s fascinating, but recovery is such a simple fact, and yet it’s so elusive".

"We try to bring the outcome and process resistance to conscious awareness and then melt them away using a variety of techniques because once you’ve got somebody who’s motivated, as you’ve seen in your own life the moment you made that decision, “I don’t want this anymore”, and you made that decision all taking into account all the benefits, then that’s going to be far more effective treatment".

"I don’t see it as my job to change the world. But if you want to work with me, then we can make a miracle happen. But if you want to work with me, my first job is to show you all the reasons why you’re probably not going to want to change. And I’m going to do this in a flattering and respectful way, not in a sarcastic way".

Learn More About This Exciting Episode

To learn more on how to deal with resistance to change, please sign-up to receive the show notes for this episode, and an incredible workbook designed to accentuate your learning on this topic.

About the Guest

 

Dr David D. Burns is the author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, a book that has sold well over five million copies in America alone. David is an adjunct clinical professor emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has received numerous awards for his research and is known as the Gandalf of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

To know more about David and his work, you may visit his website. You may also connect with him through Facebook or Twitter.

Watch The Full Episode Below