When Helping Too Much Backfires: Prompt Dependency in Therapy

Helping your clients sounds like the right thing to do.

But sometimes… helping too much actually creates the opposite of what we want.

In this episode of MI for Change, we talk about prompt dependency — a concept familiar in ABA, but one that shows up in therapy, parent coaching, and leadership as well.

Prompt dependency happens when clients begin to rely on the therapist for answers, direction, or solutions… instead of developing the confidence to problem-solve on their own.

And often, it happens with the best intentions.

In this episode we explore:

• What prompt dependency actually looks like in therapy
• Why over-helping feels good to the therapist (even when it backfires)
• How giving answers too quickly blocks autonomy and confidence
• Why silence can be one of the most powerful clinical tools
• How Motivational Interviewing shifts us from directing to evoking

Because the real goal of therapy isn’t to be needed forever.

It’s to help clients realize they don’t need us as much as they thought.

Learn more about Motivational Interviewing and explore on-demand courses at www.drmonicagilbert.com

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