If you’re a health or fitness coach, you’ve probably had weeks where it feels like none of your clients behavior change efforts are actually sticking. One client says her husband doesn’t support her. Another keeps skipping meals and blaming it on a busy week. And someone else is so stuck in a fixed mindset they can’t even see it.
In this episode, I’m answering real coaching questions from HMCC students on some of the most common (and frustrating) client situations, and walking through exactly how to handle them.
Real Coaching Strategies to Help Your Clients Behavior Change for Good
This episode is a live coaching Q&A where I work through real client scenarios with HMCC students. These are the kinds of situations that don’t have a simple answer, and the ones that separate coaches who just hand out plans from coaches who actually create lasting change.
We kick things off with one of the most common challenges coaches face: a client whose partner or family isn’t supportive of the changes they’re trying to make. Social support is one of the biggest predictors of behavior change, so this one matters. I walk through why the real issue is usually a conversation that hasn’t happened yet, and how to guide your client through that without overstepping.
From there, we get into the client who keeps missing meals and blaming it on being unprepared. When the same strategy keeps failing week after week, the fix isn’t a better strategy. I break down how to use motivational interviewing techniques to actually uncover what’s going on underneath the surface, and why “minimum effective dose” thinking can change everything here.
We also talk about something that might surprise you: why celebrating your client’s wins for them can actually backfire. “I’m so proud of you” feels like good coaching, but it can create a dynamic where your client is motivated to impress you instead of feeling proud of themselves. I share what to do instead so you’re building their internal motivation, not their dependence on your approval.
And then there’s the fixed mindset piece—which is where the episode title comes from. If a client is stuck in a fixed mindset, telling them they have a fixed mindset is probably not going to help. I walk through how to identify it in their language and ask the kinds of questions that actually start to shift it, without ever having to label it.
Oh, and if you’ve ever struggled with how to offer a suggestion to a client without just telling them what to do, I give you the exact framing to use so you can share your expertise while still keeping the autonomy with your client.
The Coaching Mistake That Kills Clients Behavior Change Buy-In
Here’s something I see all the time: a coach celebrates a client’s wins for them. “I’m so proud of you!” sounds supportive, right? But when your client’s motivation gets tied to making you proud instead of feeling proud of themselves, things start to unravel, especially during a rough week.
In this episode, I break down what to do instead and how to guide your clients to recognize their own progress without you having to be their cheerleader.
When the Plan Keeps Failing, Stop Fixing the Plan
One of the coaching Q&As in this episode digs into a client who preps meals on Sunday but never follows through mid-week. The instinct is to problem-solve the logistics, but the real issue usually isn’t the plan. I walk through how to use reflection techniques from motivational interviewing to get to what’s actually going on, and how “minimum effective dose” thinking can change everything.
Listen to the Full Episode
This one is packed with real coaching scenarios, live Q&A with HMCC students, and strategies you can use to support your clients behavior change right away. Hit play above to catch the full breakdown.
Links & Resources
A few of the episodes I referenced:
- EP 90: 5 Coaching Strategies for More Consistent Clients
- EP 52: When Clients Care ONLY About Weight Loss
Learn more about the Health Mindset Coaching Certification (HMCC)
Find me on Instagram: @coachkaseyjo
