Which Habit Reversal Therapy step helps clients recognize that urges are often short-lived and do not require acting on them?

• A. Awareness
• B. Mindfulness
• C. Identification of Triggers
• D. Assessment

Answer: (B)

Mindfulness in Habit Reversal Therapy trains clients to observe urges as they arise without judging them or automatically acting. This practice emphasizes noticing the urge, recognizing it as a transient mental event, and understanding that it tends to rise, peak, and fade rather than requiring immediate action. By adopting a nonreactive stance, clients learn to pause, breathe, and choose a competing response instead of impulsively acting on the urge.

Awareness training helps someone notice that a habit exists and when urges occur, but mindfulness goes a step further by teaching the experiential quality of those urges—focusing on their temporary nature and the ability to hold still rather than react. Identifying triggers concentrates on what cues the urge, not on the urge’s fleeting nature. Assessment involves gathering data about frequency or intensity, not the experiential mindset during the urge.