This question was also asked by a person on Quora. Here is how I answered the question:
I am answering this from the point of view of being a hypnotist and NLP Master Practitioner so my training is a lot different than that of a conventionally trained mental help practitioner.
I can tell you from my NLP training that one of the most important concepts we learn is that there is no such thing as a resistant client, only practitioners who need to better communicate with their client.
The reason that this is drilled into our minds is that it is all too easy to blame the client for not receiving results when it is an inflexible practitioner that is creating the problem. In these cases, it is a matter of having many different types of tools and techniques to use because different clients have different ability levels for different types of interventions. I have had a few clients that could not do certain types of NLP techniques so instead I did straight hypnotic techniques instead.
I have had some situations where my clients argued with me over certain things that I said and in some cases, they were absolutely right in that I was not understanding what they were saying in the manner in which they wanted me to understand what they were saying. So, it was on me to pull back and apologize for not understanding and then having them restate what they were saying in a different way so I could better understand them. This happens when a person is from a totally different culture from my own, or someone who is having a real hard time of it and needs me to be much more understanding because of their frustration. This is not aimed at me, it is just a reaction to the situation in which they find themselves. So, nothing is to be taken personally and all of it is to be taken as material for both of us to learn and grow from.
Now, there are times when I am working with people with substance abuse issues, usually alcoholics, when they can be belligerent, inappropriate, and in some cases unwilling to do the work. In those cases, it is best to not have taken them on as a client in the first place because they were not ready to do the work or were not good candidates for my level of work. Sometimes rehab is the answer to get them off the alcohol safely.
I have had a couple of teen clients who also were not ready to do the work which I would have been better not taking on, though I have to say that in both those cases their parents learned a lot about their kid (they were present for the Detailed Personal History to fill in the gaps the kids would not know from when they were too young to remember) and in that sense it was helpful. But, the kids were not ready to do the work. One of the parents did the session instead and worked on her own issues with her husband in that case – the basis of the problem the kid was having anyway. So, one can really never tell how things may work out – flexibility is key when it comes to working with people – that is for sure.
Thanks for asking the question because it is really not as easy to answer as one may think for the many ways that one can ‘look’ resistant, and really isn’t. It all comes under the artistry that is doing this work in the first place.
Subscribe Now to the Dawning Visions Hypnosis Newsletter
If you found this blog post helpful and informative, then Suzanne would like to invite you to subscribe to the Dawning Visions Hypnosis Newsletter and receive notice of new blog posts, general news,special offers and upcoming events. A confirmation email will be sent to you and you will be granted access to the ever expanding free gift page which currently includes an anti-stress hypnotic induction mp3, an eating disorder induction mp3 and a pdf of the first chapter of Suzanne's upcoming book on sexual addiction.
Subscribe Now to the Dawning Visions Hypnosis Newsletter
About Suzanne
Suzanne Kellner-Zinck founded Dawning Visions Hypnosis in 2002, She has become an innovator in the use of hypnotism and neuro-linguistic programming in the areas of obsessive compulsive disorders such as: eating disorders, sexual addiction and substance abuse as well as working with those with anxiety and mood disorders.
Her clients have come to work with her from across the United States and as far away as Africa to help them to finally be freed from these emotional issues that once ruled their lives. Today she is in the process of bringing her work to many more in the form of ebooks and other downloadable formats.
She is a member of American Holistic Medical Association and the American College for Advancement in Medicine.
Prior to founding Dawning Visions Hypnosis, Kellner-Zinck worked within vendor programs for the mentally ill working to help them to live up to their fullest potential. Many of her previous clients were able to move out on their own and find fulfilling work.
Kellner-Zinck is a Certified Trainer of Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic programing through Tad James Company, Inc. and a Master Hypnotist and Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming through Advanced Neuro Dynamics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and political studies from Curry College.
Dawning Visions Hypnosis is teaching people that they can indeed leave their unwanted behaviors behind as they move forward to living fulfilling and joy filled lives.