Approaches to Dealing with
Resistive Clients
What are resistive clients?
Those willing to engage in counseling and
appear outwardly receptive but who exhibit
various qualities or characteristics that
hinder progress toward their self-identified
goals
 Might welcome the interaction but resist
taking action
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What causes resistive clients
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Fear, inertia, mistrust
Some might envision all financial professionals
as disdainful and self-righteous in dealing with
other’s $
Afraid they will be looked upon as failures
Admission of failure or guilt
Don’t want to face fixing their problem
Fear they will be coerced into something they
don’t want to do
Dispositions and attitudes
Don’t want to share financial matters
Overcoming normal resistance
Warm inviting atmosphere
 Sincere interest and concern
 Respecting right to privacy
 Providing appropriate, reliable, and honest
service
 Avoiding apparent, actual, or potential
conflicts of interest
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Legitimate sources of resistance
Counselor not listening
 Counselor not properly counseling client
 Financial counseling does not fit the
client’s need
 Client participation is coerced
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How to avoid legitimate resistance
Avoid things that might attract or cultivate
legitimately resistive clients
 Proper labeling, describing, and marketing
what your counseling program offers
 Program flyers and brochures should
make clear the types of clients and
problems your programs serves.
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How to avoid legitimate resistance
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“Client Dumping”
Clients are automatically and indiscriminately
referred to another service provider
 Rationalized on the grounds that almost
anyone can benefit from financial counseling
 This practice can generate an excess of
resistive clients
 Will take time, energy, and resources from
others who will use it
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Mechanisms to discourage
indiscriminate referrals
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Contact the agency and work out an agreement
for making appropriate referrals
Insist that appt. requests be made by the clients
themselves, not by someone acting on their
behalf
Screen applicants when they call by asking them
if the counseling is something they want to do
someone else wants them to do it
Don’t turn suitable clients into resistive
clients due to improper treatment
Provide good options
Provide good analysis
Provide good judgments
Provide good guidance
Keys to avoiding
legitimately resistive
clients
Avoid the attraction and referral of
resistive clients by
Clearly labeling and describing nature of
services
 Not accepting involuntary and
indiscriminate referrals
 Discouraging clients without purposeful
agendas
 Insisting that all clients be willing
participants
 Referring clients with serious disorders
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Avoid creating resistance in
normally disposed clients by
Not prejudging or categorizing any client
 Listening carefully and openly to each
client
 Basing counseling on what each client
wants
 Providing remedies specifically fitted to
each client
 Accepting and enabling a client’s selfdetermination
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Guidelines for dealing with resistive
clients
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Do not make quick assumptions
Place the responsibility of the client’s success on
the client
If progress slows down or appears hopeless,
restate what the client wants to achieve
Don’t get sidetracked by the small stuff
Don’t aim to cure the client but the client’s
situation
Don’t attempt to make every conceivable change
that could benefit the client