Final answer:
The answer to the student's question is true; self-sabotage involves reverting to prior coping behaviors that no longer contribute to a person's growth. It connects with psychological concepts like regression and reciprocal determinism, and impedes the congruence between the real self and the actual selves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Self-sabotage is indeed when a client reverts back to an old behavior that once helped them cope with life but is not currently helping them grow into what they now desire, so the answer is true. This concept is related to various psychological constructs including regression, which is an ego defense mechanism where a person confronted with anxiety returns to a more immature behavioral state, and repression, where anxiety-related thoughts and memories are kept in the unconscious. According to Carl Rogers's theory on the real self, which represents the person who we actually are, incongruence between the real self and the ideal self can lead to maladjustment. Additionally, the theory of reciprocal determinism elaborates on the belief that while one's environment can influence behavior, individuals also shape their environment with their thoughts and actions. When individuals engage in self-sabotage, they may be adhering to old patterns that no longer serve their actual selves or align with their desired growth.