How we make change happen

In the late 1970s, psychologists James Prochaska, PhD, and Carlo DiClemente, PhD, studied smokers, namely those who quit on their own and those who required further treatment. From this research they developed The Transtheoretical model-a model for change based on the theory that people do not change their behaviors quickly or decisively. Instead, change occurs as a cyclical process, with relapse being a normal part of the process. Here's a look at how it works: