The truth about habits by Empower Counseling in Birmingham, Alabama.
Before we get into the truth about habits, I need to dispel a common myth about habits.
Myth about habits:
If asked how long it takes to forma new habits, most people answer 21 days. This answer can be traced to a book published in 1960 by Dr. Maxwell Maltz.
What he stated in the book, “Psycho-Cybernetics”, is, “These, and many other commonly observed phenomena, tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to gel.”
With over 30 million copies sold, this observation somehow became fact to many.
The truth about habits by Empower counseling in Birmingham, alabama:
As a clinician who practices Acceptance Commitment Therapy, which is cognitive and behavioral in nature, I am a student of behavior and habits. I am consistently and constantly observing and talking with clients about what is working for clients, and what is not, when it comes to changing their behavior.
As someone who specializes in anxiety and perfectionism, I see what gets in the way the most when it comes to letting go of bad habits and establishing new, better habits.
What I see most often, especially with perfectionists, is unrealistic expectations.
Here is a second myth about habits.
We can not change bad habits permanently with will power alone. That is why diets work for a short time, you lose weight, then you gain it back.
Attempting to change the behavior without understanding the thoughts or need driving that behavior, will most likely be unsuccessful.
The amount of time it will take you to establish a new habit depends on the individual. If you have had trouble letting go of a bad habit and establishing new healthy habits, Empower Counseling can help you with Acceptance Commitment Therapy. We can help you determine what thoughts and needs are driving your behavior, that make it so difficult to change.
Then we can help you with strategies to, not only let go of the bad habits you have been unable to shake, but give you strategies and support to establish the new habits you want.
We are the sum of our habits.
If you have been struggling, unable to create the habits and routines you really want to have, let us help you.
All of our counselors are trained in Acceptance Commitment Therapy, which means we know behavior. We know what drives it, and the best methods of changing it. Empower Counseling is located right off of Hwy 280 in Office Park, Mountain Brook , Alabama. With convenient, free parking, Empower is easy to get to from Homewood, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Vestavia, and down town Birmingham. We offer male and female counselors who specialize in anxiety counseling and therapy for depression with adults, young professionals, college students, and teens.
If you are stuck in old patterns or if your life just does not look the way you want it to look, reach out to the knowledgeable and caring counselors at Empower Counseling.