Page 68 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

“Why” Questions
Some recommend avoiding questions beginning with why. “Why” may indicate one’s disapproval, displeasure,
or mistrust, thus provoking defensive feelings, as it appears to ask the person to justify or explain his or her
behavior. For example:

“Why don’t you follow your diet more closely?”
“Why don’t you eat breakfast?”
“Why don’t you exercise more often?”
“Why did you resign from your job?”

Clients may react defensively or explain their behavior in a manner they believe is acceptable.

“I don’t follow my diet because I don’t like it. You wouldn’t like it either.”
“I can eat breakfast if you think I should.”
“I don’t exercise because I don’t have time. Do you exercise?”
“I resigned because there was no chance for advancement.”

If threatened by a “why” question and unwilling to reveal the answer, the individual may answer in an evasive
manner, in which case nothing is gained.

Responses

After the client answers, the interviewer may respond in one of several ways. Some responses are
recommended and others are less helpful. They include the following: (1) Understanding responses, (2)
Probing responses, (3) Confrontational responses, (4) Evaluative responses, (5) Hostile responses, and (6)
Reassuring responses.

Understanding Responses

The understanding response is one of the best choices. With it, practitioners try to understand the person’s
message and recreate it within their own frame of reference. People have more rapport with those who try to
understand them rather than judge them. This may lead to more cooperation on the part of the client.

EXAMPLE Mrs. Jones: “I haven’t lost any weight this week. I ate just a few cookies. The diet doesn’t
work.”
Counselor, paraphrasing a feeling rather than a fact: “You are feeling concerned because you haven’t lost
any weight, Mrs. Jones, and you are wondering if it was something you ate, or a problem with the diet?”

The paraphrase in this understanding response helps the person feel accepted even if her behavior was not
perfect. The client will feel safe in expressing her sentiments and exploring them further. Note that the
professional should focus on Mrs. Jones’s feelings and attitudes, rather than only on the content of what she
said. She may be feeling guilty, concerned, or disappointed with the diet or with herself. The counselor has
guessed “concerned,” and if this is not correct, Mrs. Jones will correct the mistaken impression, thus
furthering one’s understanding and demonstrating that one is trying to understand.

The understanding response is most helpful in assisting clients to recognize problems and to devise their
own solutions. The client may progress from initial negative feelings to more neutral ones and finally to more

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