How to Motivate a Busy Mom Client (For Therapists)
- Jordanthecounselor
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
Learn Therapy Microskills
Welcome back to our series on therapy microskills, where we analyze sessions from master therapists to teach you their skills.
Today, we are looking at the skill of persuasiveness in counseling, using a clip from Dr. Tori Olds as she works with a busy mom.
There are three big themes present in this video:
Engagement as the Foundation – Why the first step of any persuasion is demonstrating deep engagement through body language—mirroring, eye contact, and matching—to prove you truly understand the client's worldview.
The Logic of Timing – Why trying to persuade a client before they are ready often becomes coercive, and why taking the time to "sync up" is the most efficient path to adoption of new ideas.
The Persuasive Rationale – How to use a brief, evidence-based explanation to help less-motivated clients understand why sticking with difficult feelings is the key to the change they are seeking.
Watch the Breakdown
If you want to see exactly how to build the relational foundation required for ethical persuasion, watch the full analysis below.
Listen Here:
Jordan Harris Jordan Harris, Ph.D., LMFT-S, LPC-S, received his Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana Monroe. He is a licensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Arkansas, USA. In his clinical work, he enjoys working with couples. He also runs a blog on deliberate practice for therapists and counselors at Jordanthecounselor.com You can find him on linkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-harris-lpc-s-lmft-s-418412301/
Dr. Tori Olds Tori Olds, PHD is a licensed psychologist who has been studying experiential therapies for over twenty-five years. She specializes in the integration of experiential approaches to therapy and leads seven international training groups on this topic each week. She has a passion for translating complex psychology concepts for the public, which she does through her YouTube channel and other speaking engagements. toriolds.com/
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