Challenging clients. Presented by Sharon Curtain
Recognising, resolving and avoiding discord in collaborative client relationships
You’ve likely experienced discord in your clinic, even if you weren’t able to put a name to it. Sharon describes how discord can show up in closed body language, argumentative responses, and agreeing readily- “yes, yes, yes!”. We may have called these clients ‘non-compliant’, and we may notice that their behaviours don’t change. We call these clients ‘challenging’ because working with them isn’t easy.
If we are experiencing discord with a client, whose fault is it? While their experiences might play into how they show up, the practitioner can also communicate in ways that enhance and reinforce discord within the relationship. From being driven by our agenda to information overloading, Sharon describes a suite of ways we commonly spark discord in our clients. And a few of them may sound all too familiar.
Resolving discord as it comes up, as well as planning for communication that actively aims to avoid it, Sharon offers a toolbox of skills that will help us in our clinics every day. It also leads us to reflect on the irony of challenging clients, that it is likely less about them than we might have thought.
Sharon Curtain is a dietitian and health coach with twenty years of experience in clinical and corporate nutrition. She has developed a passion for skills in communication and health behaviour change which has led Sharon to develop the accredited Diploma of Health Coaching with Victoria University Polytechnic, as well as health professionals training courses with Accredited Health Coaching Australia.
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