“Not only do I understand why someone may or may do what I’ve asked them to do, but I feel more confident in having conversations that before, made me incredibly uncomfortable” (Physiotherapist, UK).
This was a surprise piece of feedback from someone on the last course I taught, teaching Behaviour Change Interventions to Healthcare Practitioners. I knew that the strategies I taught were useful and made a big difference in terms of long-term behavioural shift, but this particular statement woke me up to the fact that practitioners were often in situations that at times made them feel very uncomfortable.
I mentioned this to another small group of practitioners I was working with to see if the same feelings were being experienced, and they too echoed the same sentiments; one practitioner telling me for example that prior to the course I had taught, she had literally dreaded what some patients were going to say, and sat there wishing she could just concentrate on their knee! I mean it was why there were there seeing her wasn’t it, she said? Or was it?
Are humans really that simple, that they ever really show up with one thing to focus on? Do they ever really just come with the painful knee?
HOLISTIC PRACTICE
Many practitioners I work with have told me, especially post-Covid, that people are not just presenting with their physical issues when they come for help. They never really have, but certainly after Covid and all that we experienced psychologically as a result, this seems much more pronounced.
Yes, people are turning up to get your expert advice on how they might help with their physical injury, rehabilitate, build strength or physically prepare for surgery but when they describe what their ‘lived experience’ of having ‘said injury’ is like, what is apparent is that you cannot help someone by just focussing on the physical.
Again this isn’t new. It’s echoed in all of the advice given in Healthcare settings and perpetuation of the message of having to address things via a Biopsyhosocial model of care (Fig 1). It’s what good practice is built on, yet what I’m aware of, is that so few people are given actual knowledge and advice around how to do this. How do you implement strategies to tackle this on a practical level not just give it lip service.
Afterall, anyone can say we should be looking at people holistically and then working within a bio-psychosocial framework, but what is the reality?
THE ISSUE, SOMETIMES ISN’T THE ISSUE!
In order to help someone with a physical issue, we must first go through their individual filter. The filter that person has in terms of their own thoughts and feelings about ‘that thing’. This inevitably means that we will hear all manner of other factors which they feel contribute to their issue. This can be anything from issues around not having ‘time’ (yes, that old chestnut), inability to do what’s being asked of them, lack of support, pain etc. I’m sure you can fill in the blank very easily here.
This is all well and good, and good practitioners may become adept over time at helping their patients overcome some of these issues. This type of interaction in and of itself may feel like you are stepping outside of your scope, it also may feel like we are tackling things in a bio-psychosocial way if we do; but what happens when you encounter more difficult conversations, or people who just won’t do what is asked them yet they keep coming back? Those that really lack motivation to engage and or those that show signs of other deeper issues that are preventing them from engagement?
PRACTICAL STRATEGIES
This is where Psychology and Behaviour Change interventions really help bridge the gap.
I’ve done this specific work with healthcare practitioners for several years now, and I’ve been astounded to learn that Psychology does not form any signifiant part of training and degrees in these professions. So, when I encounter a practitioner who feels unskilled in helping someone, because of these very issues they are presenting with, I really feel for them. Usually they, you, really want to help but as you weren’t trained in this area, I feel it’s wrong to expect you to know what to do.
Having a good foundational knowledge in Psychology & Behaviour Change in this case, will help you to:
Understand how a human thinks and processes information.
Understand how people think and behave in approach to change.
Understand what people need to have in place in order to engage with something consistently over time.
Understand what blocks and barriers can present are and how they hinder our ability to adhere.
Understand how we help people adhere and find joy in what they are doing.
These are just a few things that you may get from building your knowledge as a healthcare practitioner which will certainly help you feel more equipped to help someone adhere, and not just for the short term…sustained change is what we are after!
There are also some key differences in the courses I teach, as being a Chartered Psychologist, I naturally come from a different and arguably more integrated approach to my work. I’ll be writing more about this in another blog next week, in which I’ll address what you’ll get from learning Behavior Change from a Psychologist vs a different Healthcare practitioner.
So do check back in to read that, and of course offer your thoughts.
WHAT NEXT?
There are many Behaviour Change tools, strategies and courses out there. Like everything, I would encourage you to find one that suits you and you practice. You may find that more theoretical knowledge is what you’re after. Or you may be more interested in processes?
If however you are interested in the course I’ll be teaching, which has a focus on long-term behaviour change and integrated practice; then I’ll be teaching this LIVE starting June 5th, please just CLICK HERE to be taken though to the course page where you can find out more.
For an overview, we will be covering:
How change is perceived and achieved in humans - and why we need to understand this before we try and help our patients/clients.
How to unlock your patient/client WHY and why this is crucial to their success.
The role of motivation in change, and how we can impact this as practitioners and coaches.
Nudge Theory - what a nudge is (and isn’t!) and how you can implement basic nudges to help your clients make decisions.
How to effectively set goals - that your patients/clients actually want to stick to.
Motivational interviewing techniques to help you feel more confident in eliciting true change.
How we can utilise what we know about Neuroplasticity to aide change and success.
Boundaries and leadership in your practice - and why these ultimately help your patients/clients achieve the results they desire.
SALE OFFER
Thinking about signing up, then I’ll be offering a flash sale this bank holiday weekend only, where you can use the following codes and get £50.00 of the full cost of the course.
Paying in FULL: BCFLASH50
Paying by INSTALMENTS: BCFLASH50OFF
This will be available from Friday 26th, until midnight Monday 29th only.
I’d love to see you on this next International Cohort which looks, as ever, to be an amazing group of practitioners!
If you have any questions in the meantime, then please get in touch with me at serenasimmons@icloud.com where I’ll be happy to help you.