Compassionate Healer

Compassionate Healer


#02: Six Steps to Reframing Problematic Behavior

April 26, 2014


Ever feel like you’re stuck on a certain unhelpful behavior or pattern? Does it feel like you can’t find the solution or that there’s no way to change?


In today’s topic, we’ll be discussing the very important process of reframing. I encourage you to listen to Podcast 1: Reframing, as it will give you a more thorough definition of reframing.


Let’s jump right in. I’m about to make a statement that you may or may not agree with.


Behind every behavior lies a positive intention.


In a simple definition, positive intention states that all behavior is (or was) serving a positive purpose.


What’s your response to this statement? For most of us, we may deny this statement because it doesn’t make sense. Most individuals tend to focus on the negative behaviors or circumstances (meaning, what is going wrong) vs the possibilities of what could be (what can go right). Focusing on the negative behaviors, we miss the underlying message, which is deeper and has the capacity to give us insight and solutions.


Positive intention is a basic principle of Neuro Linguistic Programming, which states that the information we send and receive is processed verbally and nonverbally. It then gets created into messages (information), which puts us in particular states. These states are what drives our behaviors.


Some examples of positive intention can be:


1. Agression – Protection


2. Fear – Safety


3. Anger – Boundaries


4. Physical Symptoms – A sign letting us know that something is not functioning to its capacity.


Positive intention points us toward finding healing and solutions. The behavior “good†or “bad†is trying to tell us something.


To listen in to entire Podcast, please scroll down.

I am going to present to you a 6 step exercise you can practice at home, in a quiet place to help you reframe problematic behavior. Listen to it once before you engage in the exercise and have a notebook ready.


Episode Resources: