When a client resists significant life changes, guide them through the transition by encouraging small, manageable steps to reduce overwhelm. Listen actively to their concerns, validating their feelings. Highlight the benefits of change using real-life success stories or data, helping them see the positive outcomes and feel more confident.

Change occurs in stages and ambivalence is a natural stage of change - sometimes just getting familiar with what parts of them want the change and what parts don't can be enough to get things moving again, as the parts that don't are usually trying to tell them something. If you address the need, more often than not things will get moving again.

Encourage your client to reflect on their "why": the purpose behind the change. Break the journey into small, manageable steps to make it less overwhelming. Offer evidence of past successes when they embraced challenges, building confidence. Reframe risks as opportunities for growth, and provide a safe space for expressing fears without judgment. Share stories of others who've thrived through change, showing it’s not uncharted territory. Empathy and patience are key — help them visualize the benefits of change while addressing concerns. Sometimes, all it takes is helping them take that first step — because, as they say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

I believe its important to lead them to reconnect with their deeper "WHY", the core reason they want something different. Focusing on what truly matters to them reveals the motivation needed to move past fear and hesitation. Once they’re clear on their purpose, we work together to create a plan that feels aligned and achievable, empowering them to take meaningful steps forward with confidence.

A visualisation exercise could help. Where and how do they see themselves in the future if they were to make this big change. A positive image for them to get a birds eye view of how they are seeing themselves. And then what steps would take them towards that image.