There's a misconception that we need to believe in free will in order to be able to grow. Proponents of free will argue that therapy, for example, can be successful only if patients believe in their ability to choose to take complete responsibility for their lives. Unfortunately, with that perspective, one that professes a belief in libertarian free will, taking responsibility invariably engenders a deep sense of shame, particularly when taking responsibility for change isn't enough to make practical changes.

I argue instead for agency, which isn't the same as free will, as agency is cultivated in an environment that takes genes, life circumstances, and a history of trauma into account. Agency allows the individual to work with the tools she's given, as opposed to believing that she can will herself to be whomever she wishes. Since we tend to be black-and-white thinkers, we frequently get trapped in the dichotomy of free will vs. determinism. Patients have told me: "If I don't believe in free will, shouldn't I just give up?" Determinism, to them, means that everything is set in stone and, logically, we must therefore lack the ability to change course; free will, on the contrary, means the ability to change course whenever one wants to. Yet, they fail to note that their perspective is, in part, related to how difficult it is (both emotionally and with respect to the limits of our imaginations) for us to conceive of free will as anything but free; to most of us, it feels like we are in charge of our brains. And it's often terrifying to consider otherwise.

People with ADHD, for example, are often astounded by their inability to concentrate for long periods of time (with few exceptions) and complete........

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