Module 9: When Clients Aren't Sure About Change Flashcards
The question-answer trap
- Evaluation - conversation is just question-answer
- Can make the client feel judged or to lose focus
- Avoid this is by using a pre-appointment questionnaire
The expert trap
- Offering unsolicited advice - can lead to sustain talk or the client agreeing w/ no intent to follow the advice.
- Ask permission to share some suggestions or ask what they would feel comfortable changing
The scare tactics trap
- Trying to scare the person into changing.
- This could lead to the client having low self-efficacy or response efficacy
The cheerleading trap
- Cheerleading can lead to them being hesitant to share their struggles.
- Can lead to them feel less accomplished if they didn’t do as well as when you cheered them on
The information overload trap
- Giving too much information about a condition or recommendations.
- Can lead to them becoming overwhelmed with information and not making any real changes.
- We can avoid this by using elicit-provide-elicit.
The Jump-to-Planning trap
- Moving to the planning phase before the client is ready.
- Even if they immediately ask for meal plans, this doesn’t mean they are ready.
- They still need to express a strong motivation to change in order to move to planning.
The chat trap
- Making small talk, many practitioners try to use small talk to build rapport
- Leads to an abrupt transition to talking about why they are there.
List the 4 Process Categories of resistance
- Arguing
- Interrupting
- Negating
- Ignoring
Describe the 4 Process Categories of resistance
- Arguing: Client argues with you, you argue back
- Interrupting: Client interrupts you – often because they are arguing or don’t want to listen
- Negating: Client blaming others for them not wanting to change, reluctance or pessimism about changing
- Ignoring: Client doesn’t respond to what you are saying, sidetracking – changing the subject to distract from the conversation
List the 6 Advocacy Responses to resistance
- Arguing for change
- Assuming the expert role
- Criticizing, shaming, or blaming
- Labeling
- Being in a hurry
- Claiming preeminence
Arguing for change
- Arguing with client about why they should change
- Arguing with the client can make them feel defensive even if they know you are right, they won’t listen to you.
Assuming the expert role
- Telling the client what they need to do without discussing changes with them
- This could make the client feel like you don’t care about what they think, or feel like you are bossing them around
Criticizing, shaming, or blaming
- Criticizing, shaming, or blaming them for not changing behavior
- This can reduce their self-efficacy and make them not want to try to change or have another appointment with you
Labeling
- Labeling them as “a diabetic” or “a cancer patient”
- This can make the client feel like you only see them as having their condition but it’s only part of their life
Being in a hurry
- Rushing the appointment to get to the next client
- This can make the client feel like you don’t care about talking to them or that they shouldn’t ask more questions or discuss struggles because you want to be done
Claiming preeminence
- “I am the expert; you need to do this”
- This can push them to feel defensive and feel like you are patronizing them
Describe appropriate counselor responses to resistance
- Roll with resistance
- Take a step back, use reflective listening, and shift their focus to something they want to work on or that they are willing to do