034: Stages of Change/Stages of Faith

In this episode, highly experienced family therapist, Julie Keanaaina introduces a model known as the Stages of Change that has been found to be very helpful in not only addiction therapy but applied more widely, and then she and Latter-day Faith host Dan Wotherspoon move to compare its categories/levels with those laid out by Stages of Faith author James Fowler as adult stages of faith and worldview development. It's an instructive and fascinating conversation about mental states and physical action that is part teaching, part conversation, part personal storytelling, and all terrific and insightful.  The Stages of Change have (without calling each by the names discussed in the podcast) been adapted into a wonderful poem by Portia Nelson that is shared in the episode:

Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters

Chapter I

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost ... I am helpless.

It isn't my fault.

It takes me forever to find a way out.

 

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place.

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

 

Chapter III

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in ... it's a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

 

Chapter V

I walk down another street.

Listen in! You'll find a lot that will cause you to think with more focus about our lives, issues, changes, and our faith journeys.