Supporting Your Client’s Self-Determination

Do you have clients who are desperate for your help?

Do clients show up at your doorstep feeling embarrassed and confused about how to help their dog?

When your clients are looking to you for guidance and understanding of what is going on with their dog, how do you support their self determination?

As a trainer and behavior consultant who stands firm in do no harm training methods, your approach stays within the lines of the ethical standard.

This is a non-negotiable.

Where you have wiggle room is co creating a training plan alongside your client, so your client can express their own self determination so they can become self sufficient with their own practice.

Self determination is based on your client’s intrinsic motivation for change. It is comprised of their beliefs, attitudes, skills and knowledge influencing the choices they make. These choices are aligned with your goals irregardless of externalities like what others are saying or doing.

1. Normalize what your clients are going through and validate their feelings. This will help them to know they aren’t alone in their struggles or challenges. As you start normalizing and sharing new information, this is where your client is now gaining knowledge of their relationship with their dog, empathizing with their dogs and making connections of with their interconnectedness.
2. When your client learns the interplay between them and their dog, then you can start sharing the concepts and strategies in behavior change. This would be providing framework on systematic approaches and even introduce new skills through games and activities you can coach your pet parents to get started in doing.
3. Introduce skills, activities and games which underpin the science you shared with them. Coach them through the skills and ask them for feedback about what their experience is like working through the practice. You may experience some confusion from your client. This is normal. Confusion is a piece of the growth puzzle. Ask them follow up questions which connect the dots back to their goals of wanting to work with you.
4. As your client grows with their knowledge of their dog’s emotional state, and they practice the skills you’re coaching them through, your clients become more competent. They can begin creating their routine and life style within this new understanding. These changes opens the door for them to self determine what will work for them. Make it habit of asking your client what’s working and what’s not. When something isn’t working, ask them what solutions they have in mind.

When you offer your clients opportunities to stand in their empowered selves, your clients will open the door to where they can more clearly see the choices of how to respond in a situations.

Your clients can better understand the outcomes of those choices, continue the practice of the skills and can be motivated to continue because of how their dog responds.

Your clients’ self determination allows them to problem solve and to move into a place of advocacy for the welfare of their dogs.

Curious how you can become co-creative with your clients? Set up a Uniting Call with me!