Therapy Demo w/Female College Student: How to Assess Motivation
Welcome back to our series on therapy microskills, where we analyze sessions from master therapists to teach you their skills.
Today, we are analyzing another clinical breakdown from our deep dive into Tori Olds, Ph.D., focusing on a session with a busy student to explore the fluidity of client motivation.
There are three big themes present in this video:
The Action Phase of Therapy – Why this final stage of motivation is the "fun part" where deep interventions like parts work and somatic experiencing finally take root and create lasting change.
Motivation is Fluid, Not Static – Why therapists must track motivation moment-to-moment, recognizing that a client can bounce from deep "action" back into "resistance" within a single minute.
Seeding Autonomy to Diffuse Resistance – How to use the high-level skill of reminding a client of their own choice ("you don't have to do this") to instantly lower the stakes and return to clinical alignment.
Watch the Breakdown
If you want to see exactly how to navigate the shifts between action and resistance during a deep parts-work session, 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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