Many people enter into therapy hoping to change some aspect of their lives, but what actually leads to the change? While I am specifically asking you to think about what it is about the therapeutic relationship (or what happens in therapy) that brings about change, you can also think more globally about what causes people to change.

Change happens in therapy when the client is ready and motivated to change. Many people state that they want change in their lives, but they are not really ready to change or to alter the way that they approach their lives or their relationships. Many people also want other people to change without changing themselves.
The therapeutic relationship is important because it can foster a safety and trust that allows the client to examine his or her life and behavior in order to find the motivation to change.
However, the motivation for change has to come from within the client—when the client is ready for it. Often, change is possible when clients realize that their old ways of being and thinking are not working for them anymore, and they are ready to face the (often destabilizing) process of internal change.