Constructing Change in Psychotherapy: The Innovative Moments Model

The Innovative Moments (IM) model is based on the idea that psychological change can be identified through narrative markers associated with the disruption of maladaptive frameworks of meaning (MFMs), thereby facilitating the construction of alternative ones. This conceptualization is rooted in the notion of unique outcomes as proposed within the framework of narrative therapy. Empirical research has demonstrated that IMs can be reliably identified across diverse therapeutic modalities, and their frequency and complexity are associated with good outcomes in psychotherapy. The model has evolved to incorporate three levels of IMs, reflecting increasingly integrated forms of change, and to address processes such as ambivalence and its resolution. Recent advancements support the view that IMs function both as markers and catalysts of relationally co-constructed meaning transformation, thereby providing a transtheoretical, empirically grounded account of change in psychotherapy. The present paper outlines the model’s theoretical underpinnings, empirical development, and clinical implications.