What is the aim of Stage 2 in the treatment process?

• A. Stabilize the client
• B. Replace quiet desperation skills
• C. Resolve problems in living and achieve ordinary happiness
• D. Resolve a sense of incompleteness and achieve joy

Answer: (B)

Stage 2 focuses on replacing quiet desperation with adaptive coping. After the initial stabilization, the emphasis shifts to teaching the client practical skills—emotion regulation, problem solving, stress management, and effective ways to handle daily challenges—that reduce the need to rely on distressed, hidden patterns. This skill-building helps the client function more effectively and prepares the ground for more in-depth work later. In contrast, the later stages move toward resolving living problems for ordinary happiness and then addressing a deeper sense of incompleteness to reach a lasting sense of joy.