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Last updated on Mar 29, 2025
  1. All
  2. Healthcare
  3. Motivational Interviewing

Your client keeps questioning your advice. How can motivational interviewing help maintain trust?

When clients repeatedly question your advice, it can strain the relationship. Motivational interviewing, a collaborative conversation style, can build trust and facilitate understanding. Consider these strategies:

  • Ask open-ended questions: Encourage clients to express their concerns and thoughts freely.

  • Reflective listening: Show understanding by paraphrasing their concerns, confirming you hear them.

  • Affirm their autonomy: Validate their right to make decisions, fostering mutual respect.

How have you handled clients questioning your advice? Share your experiences.

Motivational Interviewing Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing

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Last updated on Mar 29, 2025
  1. All
  2. Healthcare
  3. Motivational Interviewing

Your client keeps questioning your advice. How can motivational interviewing help maintain trust?

When clients repeatedly question your advice, it can strain the relationship. Motivational interviewing, a collaborative conversation style, can build trust and facilitate understanding. Consider these strategies:

  • Ask open-ended questions: Encourage clients to express their concerns and thoughts freely.

  • Reflective listening: Show understanding by paraphrasing their concerns, confirming you hear them.

  • Affirm their autonomy: Validate their right to make decisions, fostering mutual respect.

How have you handled clients questioning your advice? Share your experiences.

Add your perspective
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
13 answers
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    Heather B.

    Wellness Coach at HOTWORX | Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling

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    Motivational interviewing (MI) helps maintain trust when clients question your advice by fostering a collaborative and supportive relationship. Through active listening and empathy, clients feel heard and validated, reducing resistance. MI encourages their involvement in decision-making, which gives them ownership of their journey and strengthens trust. By exploring concerns in a non-judgmental way and rolling with resistance, MI promotes autonomy and empowers clients to make informed choices. Affirmations that highlight their strengths further build trust, ensuring open communication and a stronger, more effective therapeutic relationship.

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    Ankita Tiwari

    Founder and Managing Director

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    Motivational interviewing helps maintain trust by guiding the client to discover their own reasons for change. By using open-ended questions, reflective listening, and affirmation, you create a non-judgmental space where they feel valued and understood, reducing resistance and strengthening your relationship.

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    Aristos Panteli, MBA

    Senior Institutional Manager at MultiBank Group | Providing Industry Best Partnership Deals

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    I’m Aristos Panteli — I don’t push, I guide with intent. When a client questions my advice, I use motivational interviewing to keep trust strong: → Ask, don’t tell — explore their perspective first → Reflect their concerns — show I hear and respect them → Evoke their goals — tie my advice to what they truly want → Collaborate, not convince — build the path together This method turns resistance into engagement Trust isn’t forced — it’s co-created.

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    Brian Benitez

    Driving revenue through social media, content & design | Scaling brands with creative strategy & data-driven, organic growth | Clients: NYT, Adobe, fintech, SaaS startups | Let’s talk about increasing your revenue. 👋

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    When clients push back, most people double down. Smart advisors pause and pull back the curtain. —> Ask what’s underneath the hesitation. It's rarely about the surface issue —> Reflect what they say to show you're listening, not just waiting to respond —> Reaffirm their control. You’re the guide, not the dictator Collaboration beats persuasion, every time.

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    Graça dos Santos

    Navigating the Ever-Changing Media Landscape: Insights from a Seasoned PR Expert"

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    When a client continually questions my advice, I utilize motivational interviewing techniques to maintain trust and foster a collaborative relationship. By acknowledging their concerns and ambivalence, I create a safe space for open discussion, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings. Through reflective listening and empathetic responses, I help them explore their motivations and values, ultimately empowering them to make informed decisions that align with their goals. By avoiding a confrontational or prescriptive approach, I preserve trust and strengthen our partnership, enabling us to work together effectively towards achieving their objectives.

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    Ian Mbogori

    Finance Strategist | Corporate Compliance Expert | Business Growth Architect | Turning Data into Profit & Policies into Performance

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    Motivational Interviewing helps maintain trust by fostering collaboration rather than confrontation. By actively listening, acknowledging concerns, and asking open-ended questions, you empower clients to explore their own motivations rather than resist advice. Affirming their past successes builds confidence, while reinforcing their autonomy ensures they feel in control. Instead of pushing solutions, guiding them through potential risks and benefits encourages openness. This approach transforms skepticism into partnership, making your advice more impactful and trusted.

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    Shaarim Khan

    Founder @ Ahead View Media | Google & Meta Ads Strategist | Performance Growth Marketing Partner | ₹80Crores+ in Client Revenue

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    When a client keeps questioning your advice, pushing back won’t build trust—understanding will. Ask open-ended questions so they can fully express concerns. Reflect their thoughts back to show you’re listening. Instead of saying, “This is the best way,” try, “Based on your goals, here’s my recommendation.” Clients want to feel in control, not pressured. Trust comes from clarity, collaboration, and respect—not just expertise. Trust is built on clarity and collaboration, not just expertise.

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    Jason Whistler

    I help professionals who are out of shape lose weight sustainably and reclaim lasting energy to enjoy life with loved ones | Dual Board-Certified Coach | DM me "ENERGY" to get started.

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    When a client, who sought out my advice, keeps questioning that advice I lean on motivational interviewing skills to keep the focus on them, the things that brought them here, and where they want to go next. We will also explore what they already know or believe to be true and what else may be behind their resistance to or lack of confidence in the advice they requested.

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    Nebere E.

    CEO @DR SOLOMON HOSPITAL HW Cardiovascular Nurse professional specialist Director of Nursing Services @Ethiopia Catholic church BUSHULO MNCHSC, YALI ALUMNI RLC EA & AMBASSADOR OF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERANCE 6 EDITION

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    Motivational interviewing (MI) can help maintain trust with a client by fostering open, empathetic communication. Here's how it works: 1. **Active Listening**: By genuinely listening to the client’s concerns, you show that you value their perspective, which builds trust. 2. **Affirming Strengths**: MI encourages highlighting the client’s strengths and past successes, which reinforces their confidence in your advice. 3. **Collaborative Approach**: Instead of dictating solutions, MI involves the client in decision-making, making them feel heard and respected, which strengthens the partnership. 4. **Evoking Motivation**: By asking open-ended questions and reflecting on their goals, you can help the client discover the reasons.

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    Dr Vibha Jain

    Digital Healthcare Transformation | Clinical Analytics Expert | Advocate for Preventive Medicine | Strategic Advisor

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    Motivational interviewing (MI) helps maintain trust by fostering a collaborative, patient-centered approach rather than a directive one. Here’s how: Active Listening – Show empathy by acknowledging concerns without judgment. Open-Ended Questions – Encourage clients to express doubts and explore their reasoning. Affirmation – Validate their experiences and reinforce positive steps taken. Reflective Responses – Paraphrase their concerns to show understanding. Eliciting Change Talk – Help them identify their own motivations for change instead of imposing advice. Autonomy Support – Emphasize that the final decision is theirs, building confidence and trust.

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