It’s not your job to make patients change. Your job is to create the environment where change feels possible.

In this conversation, I sit down with Staci Belcher, RDN, an Internal Family Systems–informed dietitian, to unpack how to use curiosity, compassion, and counseling techniques to unlock motivation. You’ll learn practical ways to apply behavior change psychology and motivational interviewing principles in real exam-room conversations.

Staci shares how resistance often hides wisdom, why fear-based motivation backfires, and how to use curiosity and compassion to help patients reconnect with their own inner drive to change.

Grab the Cheat Sheet here: examroomnutrition.com/saythis

Key Takeaways:

How to respond when a patient says, “I know what to do — I just can’t do it.”
What to do when resistance shows up (and what it really means).
Small phrases that lower defenses and open the door to change.
The emotions your patients bring into the exam room — and how to spot them.
How to protect your own emotional energy between visits.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in that ping-pong match of “I can’t” vs “You should,” this episode will completely reframe how you approach behavior change.

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

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Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

132 | It’s Not Your Job to Make Patients Change

Exam Room Nutrition: Where Busy Clinicians Learn About Nutrition