Outrageous Transformations

How Prodding, Poking and Doing the "Unthinkable" Can Often Elicit Change

Over the last 20+ years as a change-worker, I have been known to do some crazy s**t.

In other words, say and do things with clients that many therapists might claim are outrageous, stupid or downright “unprofessional”.

However, I have a strong sense of ethics and integrity in this profession, and sometimes, being willing to prod, poke and do the outrageous and unthinkable can sometimes be the thing that creates change.

For example, would you ever agree with a client that they SHOULD NOT take responsibility for their issue and instead should do a RAIN-DANCE around the office to let the GODS of CHANGE alter someone else?

Would you ever have considered that getting someone to imagine at the end of a session that “it definitely won’t work and you’ve absolutely wasted your money” might be the best thing?

Or would you ever ask people to go away and spend 3 hours at the weekend trying to control the sea (and get them to send video evidence to prove they did it)?

I share both stories of outrageous change from my years of working with real clients and hope to ignite a curiosity to become more dramatic and playful in your future therapeutic encounters.

Howard Cooper is known for helping people create RAPID shifts in their thinking and over the last 20 plus years he has worked with 1000s of individuals. He rejects the notion that deep & lasting change has to take a long time and, over the years he's seen some incredible transformations. He has worked on 'Virgin Atlantic's Flying Without Fear' course, writes magazine columns, talks about change on LBC and even hosts his own podcast (Rapid Change Matters) to name a few. All this has gone into the 'melting pot' that is Howard's experience which he is now keen to share with others in the business.