Responding to Sustain Talk and Resistance

Common Content

The following content points would normally be covered in presenting this module.

*Sustain talk and change talk as opposite sides of the same coin (ambivalence)
*Sustain talk (ambivalence) as normal
*Examples of sustain talk: DARN-C Desire for status quo, inability to change, reasons to sustain status quo, need to sustain status quo, commitment to status quo
*Resistance vs. sustain talk

Resistance is interpersonal behavior, signal of dissonance, predictive of non-change, and highly responsive to counselor style (e.g., discounting, interrupting, arguing)

Techniques for responding to resistance
Reflections: Simple reflection Amplified reflection Double-sided reflection
Other responses: Shifting focus, reframing, emphasizing personal control, coming alongside, agreement with a twist (agreement or reflection followed by reframe)

''Decisional balance'' also belongs here, as one possible strategy for responding when clients seem less ready and more resistant, not readily offering change talk. In this particular situation, asking about the pros of status quo serves as a springboard for then asking about the "less good things" about status quo. Decisional balance is not a routine procedure in MI, but is one of many different strategies for responding to less ready or more resistant people.