Think of a time in your life when you overcame a significant, chronic, intractable problem that had challenged you for years, until somehow you managed to completely turn things around in such a way that the change has persisted to this day. How did this happen, and what was it that made the greatest difference? Jeffrey Kottler has often explored this question-interviewing hundreds of people about their change experiences and synthesizing all the research around the globe-and he poses it in the opening pages of Change: What Really Leads to Lasting Personal Transformation. This fundamental query-how do we (or don't we) make conscious and lasting changes in our lives-has been at the center of his career as a therapist, social justice advocate, professor, scholar, and writer, and it offers a starting point for this book. Change is a mystery. There is no panacea, no one answer to how and why some people can alter their behavior, while others cannot, and even amongst the world's experts there is little consensus for what really makes the difference in successful transformations. From professional athletes to clients, colleagues, and his own personal life, Kottler interweaves powerful stories of transformation with contemporary scholarship and change theory in his examination of the varieties of human transformation. The book approaches the change process through a number of lenses, considering a variety of types of change, including those triggered by a traumatic event, hitting bottom in an addiction, inspirational travel, facing fears, and the power of altruism. Each chapter is anchored by stories of remarkable, unexpected, and lasting transformation, meant to inspire as well as illustrate the sheer range of possible change experiences. The book should leave readers with a healthy dose of skepticism for any program that promises to change your life, while also giving them a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the human psyche.

About the Author
Jeffrey A. Kottler, PhD, Professor of Counseling, California State University at Fullerton, is one of the most prolific authors in the fields of psychology and education, having written 80 books about a wide range of subjects during the past 35 years. He has authored more than a dozen texts for counselors and therapists that are used in universities around the world and a dozen books each for practicing therapists and educators. Kottler has worked as a teacher, counselor, and therapist in preschool, middle school, mental health center, crisis center, university, community college, and private practice settings. He has served as a Fulbright Scholar and Senior Lecturer in Peru and Iceland, as well as worked as a Visiting Professor in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Nepal. Kottler is President of Empower Nepali Girls that provides educational scholarships for at-risk children in Nepal.

Reviews
Kottler helps us honor the reality that openness to change is at the heart of the pilgrimage to a life of greater freedom, fulfillment, and compassion. With his usual combination of insight and practical guidance, he helps us prepare the psychological soil for what is new, necessary, and potentially transformative. He deftly accomplishes this by providing compelling stories, relevant research, and applicable clinical vignettes on: avoiding the emotional cul-de-sac of discouragement, uncovering sometimes hidden self-defeating patterns, discovering and honoring the power of 'secondary gain,' carefully documenting what promotes change, and describing such helpful paradoxes as 'the importance of being lost.' Arguably Kottler's best book since his early classic work." -Robert J. Wicks, PsyD, Author, Bounce: Living the Resilient Life; Perspective: The Calm within the Storm; and Night Call: Embracing Compassion and Hope in a Troubled World



Book Information
ISBN 9780190866853
Author Jeffrey A. Kottler
Format Paperback
Page Count 376
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 544g
Dimensions(mm) 160mm * 239mm * 23mm