Intervention Strategies for Changing Health Behavior

Applying the Disconnected Values Model

Changing habits, particularly habits that are self-destructive and unhealthy, is among the most challenging goals of therapists and coaches who work with clients in promoting a healthier lifestyle. The purpose of this book is to "help the helper," that is, to assist the person whose professional mission it is to provide a service that enables clients or patients to acknowledge their unhealthy habits and to replace them with more desirable, healthier routines. It focuses on the power of helping clients identify: (1) the inconsistency between their core values – what they consider most important in life – with one or more unhealthy habits, (2) the costs and long-term consequences of this inconsistency, called a "disconnect" in the model, and (3) their willingness to conclude that the consequences of this inconsistency is unacceptable. At that stage, (4) clients should be prepared to work with a coach in developing and carrying out an action plan that aims to remove the disconnect between the client’s values and at least one of their unhealthy habits.