Some clients, in spite of what they say, do not really _want_ to change. Their habits are deeply ingrained, serving purposes they may be only dimly aware of at the beginning of therapy. Sometimes it becomes necessary in therapy to reappraise the goals that have been set. The decision to pursue a certain course of change may result in so much anxiety and upset that both therapist and client must pause to reconsider. Some changes may turn out to be too difficult, too taxing; some clients may be unwilling to put in the work required to bring about a certain change. Most changes of the kind I am referring to--fundamental changes in outlook, in daily thoughts and feelings, in behavior--can be made only gradually. Since any move in the direction of change will threaten your existing defenses, resistance and protest are likely to well up from within you. New ways of _being_ will feel intimidating, unpleasant, or just plain _unnatural_. And this is understandable, is it not? You must confront and do battle against habits that may have been with you for a long time. _The longer that undesirable patterns have been in force, the more control they acquire over you, and the more your defenses become committed to preserving them_. Change is made steadily more difficult. Always remember, however, that change can be brought about. You need to be patient with yourself; it will not come overnight. Long-standing habits take time to be replaced, You must have patience, and you must feel hope and encouragement. If you are depressed now, if maintaining your defenses has exhausted you, then it will be difficult to feel the measure of hope that you need to begin the process of therapy. This, perhaps more than anything else, is the most immediate and perceptible benefit of therapy: a good therapist is a source {35} for hope and encouragement when you cannot sustain these yourself. Therapists are trained to help people who want to change, to bring it about. THE RESULTS OF THERAPY In the past twenty to thirty years, there has been a gradual shift away from a medical, illness-based orientation in therapy to one that focuses on personal growth. By no means everyone enters therapy because of emotional pain. Increasingly, therapists are seeing clients who enjoy psychological and emotional good health but believe that therapy can help them lead fuller, richer, more satisfying lives. As a consequence, the objectives of many current approaches to therapy involve more than only the resolution of personal difficulties and crises. There are many potential benefits of therapy. To varying degrees, all the therapies we will discuss in this book claim to assist you in achieving the following goals. _Resilience and Tolerance to Stress_