Staged change implies that motivational strategies should be tailored to the client's readiness to change.

• A. Different motivational strategies are used depending on the client's readiness to change.
• B. The same motivational strategy is used regardless of stage.
• C. Readiness to change is ignored when planning interventions.
• D. Motivation is addressed only after relapse.

Answer: (A)

Staged change rests on the idea that a client’s willingness to change varies, so the motivational approach should fit where they are in that process. When someone is not yet considering change, conversations that raise awareness and gently explore ambivalence work best, without pressure. As they move toward readiness, you shift to concrete planning, goal setting, and problem-solving to support action and maintenance. This tailoring helps reduce resistance and keeps the client engaged, which is why using different motivational strategies depending on readiness to change is the best approach. Using a single strategy for all stages, ignoring readiness, or waiting to address motivation only after relapse clashes with how motivation and behavior actually unfold across the stages.