Use when a client reports that a plan did not happen. Begin with curiosity about the sequence and the fit of the plan. The purpose is to find a useful adjustment while keeping the client involved in deciding what matters.
Invite an account
Clinician: "The plan did not happen this week. Can we look at the moment it became hard to start or continue?" Client: "I was just lazy." Clinician: "That is a painful label. What did you notice in the actual situation?"
Identify a testable barrier
Clinician: "Was the next step clear? Were the materials available? Did something else need your attention? What feelings or body needs were present?" If the client is unsure: "We can take one recent example slowly, or choose a different plan."
Offer options with permission
Clinician: "Would you like to try a smaller first step, a visible reminder, or asking for support? We can also question whether this task is the right priority." Client: "The instructions were confusing." Clinician: "Then clarifying them may be more useful than another reminder."
Check ownership
Clinician: "What will you try, and what would tell us it helped? How should we adjust if the same barrier appears?" Invite the client to describe the plan in their own words and record uncertainty honestly.
Reflection prompts
Use these questions in conversation, on paper, or in the downloaded PDF. You may adapt or skip a prompt.
- The barrier hypothesis and the client-chosen experiment