I need to do a final assessment but know my client isn’t making much progress.
I have a client who I have been working with for a few months. She has canceled several sessions and I know she isn’t doing workouts at home, or following a healthy diet. This week is our last session (I am not sure if she plans on purchasing another package but I doubt it).
With most clients we would do an assessment to see where they have progressed, etc. I am a little hesitant to do this with her because I don’t want to discourage her at all, but at the same time I feel like it would be important to do. How would you approach this situation?
I do know in the way of form (doing squats, lunges, etc.) She has gotten better, so I will mention that to her. But, what would you say/do besides that?
I’d start by asking her how she feels. This will give you an idea where and how to start. The correction sandwich as mentioned above, is a good idea too, this is what a correction sandwich is: start with a positive, fill with what could be a neg, then finish with a positive.
Review her goals, and hopefully you’ve kept a log of her appointments, and what you worked on each time. You can show her with the squats…where she started and where she is now. Show her gaps in your meetings and show her a gain she made and then a set back.
I would simply say, “look at these gains here, and then there were some missed workouts/gaps, and at the next meeting we started here…” You can say you started there for safety, or she held steady due to ___… Then continue, “I can see with these gains here when we keep our workouts more consistent we can reach…”
Then work in her goals. I’ve had SO many inconsistent clients, and overtime I was able to make regular schedule that they kept. Enforce the cancellation policy. Hoping you have a cancellation policy. You can use it a bit to get them consistent. If you decide to let her make up appointments, tell her you can do it at this time ____, but this is the only time you have for her to make it up, otherwise she’ll lose it, say with a sad kinda face, in a manner showing you don’t want her to loose the workout. Tread lightly here, you don’t want her to take advantage. Discuss with her a time you really think she’ll make. Review goals, you can do her assessment. If she doesn’t have changes in strength, lost inches…mark her improvement in form…as gains.