Resistance happens when we push our patients to make a change they’re not ready to make. Just because we know that something is good for us, doesn’t mean that we’re ready to actually do that thing. 

This is normal. It’s normal to have mixed feelings about starting something new. And it’s definitely normal to encounter resistance when someone is starting something they’re not even sure they want to start.

Resistance might sound like:

• Yea maybe…
• I guess so…
• Yes, but…

Resistance might look like: 

• Defeat
• Boredom
• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Reluctance

Identifying Resistance and Desire

There are a lot of opportunities for our clients to feel pressured into doing things they aren’t sure about doing. Or things they simply don’t want to do. In one conversation, you might hear a shift happen between being fully motivated to losing all hope or willpower, as your patient struggles with how ready they truly are. 

Other times, it’s not your patient causing the resistance. It’s their loved ones who are the driving force of difficulty. As you’re talking to your patients and the people who care for them, listen for where the pressure to change is coming from. 

Think about a time when you’ve had a patient’s grown child or their spouse pull you aside before your counseling session. They usually a laundry list of must-do, some that are ultra specific:

• “Tell him he cannot keep eating 4 eggs and bacon in the morning for breakfast. He needs to eat oatmeal!”

Then there are the things that are more vague and possibly a bit more questionable: 

• “Tell her she has to drink the 12 vegetable green juice powder I got her. Every day!”

Remember that using imperatives usually isn’t the key smoothing over resistance. And also remember that your patient’s loved ones usually aren’t aware of the implication of using those types of phrases.

As the nutrition professional involved in the conversation, it’s up to you to keep the focus on your patient instead of their loved one. Remembering to use inclusive language and continue to ask your patient permission – despite their loved one instructing in the background – will allow you to keep your patient focused on what’s most important to them.