A Critical Evaluation of Motivation to Change Conceptualization, Measurement, and Utility in Counseling and Psychotherapy

Abstract

Motivation to change, or a general sense of readiness to change, is an important construct in mental health counseling initiation, engagement, and persistence. Despite the connection of motivation to change to outcome in therapy, issues persist in the measurement and conceptualization of the construct. This article presents a critical examination of the construct of motivation to change, its measurement, and a proposal to conceptualize motivation as a transient state related to specific, and complex, behavioral changes.