Diagnosing the type of change that has occurred: suppression of old knowledge by new (counteractive) or rewriting of the original knowledge (transformational).
Step-by-step guide
- Ask: "When you are in that situation — do you need effort to remain calm?"
- If yes — this is counteractive change: old knowledge suppressed but not rewritten
- Check under stress conditions: "When you are tired or stressed — does the old reaction return?"
- If it returns — more reconsolidation work is needed
- If there is no effort and no return — transformation has occurred
- Use the result to plan further work
When to use
- For assessing the outcome of the work
- When the client reports improvement — to gauge its depth
Key phrases
I want to ask a careful question. When the old situation shows up now, do you have to work to stay calm — or is calm simply there? Both are good news, but they are different news, and they ask for different next steps.
Follow-up questions
What happens under stress — does the old reaction return?
How quickly can the new state appear without effort?
Is there puzzlement — "I don't know why I used to react that way"?
Does the new version feel "put on", or simply true?
Alternative phrasings
Both counteractive and transformational change have value — we just aim for deeper.
If we are in the counteractive zone, we know what to do next.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Counteractive change is not a failure. It is often an intermediate step. But knowing the difference matters for choosing strategy.
Source: Ecker, Ticic & Hulley, 2012
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.