Working With Excuses

This week we’re dealing with ambivalence again before going onto other topics. We’ll come back to it again as it’s both common and important when treating clients.

It’s important to point out that just because someone says they must, can, wants to, or has good reasons to do your exercises, doesn't mean that they will do them.

What can you do to help your clients implement their rehabilitation to better manage injury or illness?

I’d like to point out here that whenever someone enters the medical world there’s a fair chance that the clinician will be asking or expecting them to do something they don’t normally do. This means they will have to give up something, or adapt their lives in some way.

We know that many clients are ready to make adjustments but many are not.

What can you do to help them move forward?

Listen to the excuses they are making for not doing the agreed task and then ask open questions related to that excuse.

They are giving you excuses as they’re not convinced they need to make any changes to their lives. They are ambivalent about staying the same and doing what’s necessary to get better.

Let me give you a few examples:

A client says:

“I forgot to do the exercises”.

Your response could be:

“What needs to happen for you to remember to do your exercises?”

A client says:

“I don’t have time to fit the exercises in.”

Your response could be:

“What needs to happen for you to fit these exercises in?”

A client says:

“I can’t do this exercise. It hurts too much.”

You response could be:

“What part of the exercise causes you pain?”

The principle with all of these questions is that they are open with the aim of the client finding a solution. You want your client to start thinking about possibilities rather than agreeing with your requests and then not doing anything.

This behaviour is frustrating for you and not helpful to your client.

Your exercise this week is to respond to excuses with open questions related to the excuse that’s been given.

Any questions go to our Facebook page and post them there so that others can benefit from the answers.

We’d also love to hear of any successes you have.

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