Macro Coach Behavior Change Coaching Techniques 1 Flashcards

A macro coach uses open-ended questions to help a client articulate the personal benefits of improving their protein intake. Which behavior change technique is being applied?

Answer: Values clarification

Values clarification helps clients connect desired behaviors to their core personal values, strengthening intrinsic motivation by revealing why the change matters to them specifically.

When a macro coach summarizes a client's own words about why they want to improve their nutrition before asking them to elaborate, this technique is called:

Answer: Reflective listening

Reflective listening involves mirroring the client's statements back to them to deepen understanding and encourage further exploration of their own motivations, a core motivational interviewing skill.

A client says they intend to meal prep on Sundays but consistently fails to follow through. A macro coach sets up a specific phone reminder and a dedicated prep playlist to support this. This is an example of:

Answer: Environmental restructuring

Environmental restructuring modifies the physical or contextual surroundings to make the desired behavior easier and more automatic, removing barriers and adding cues that trigger action.

Which principle of motivational interviewing emphasizes accepting that ambivalence about change is normal and not labeling it as resistance?

Answer: Rolling with resistance

Rolling with resistance means a coach avoids arguing or pushing back when a client is ambivalent; instead they explore the ambivalence alongside the client, preserving rapport and autonomy.

A macro coach asks a client to rate their confidence in hitting their daily calorie target on a scale from 1 to 10, then asks what would make the score one point higher. This technique is called:

Answer: Confidence ruler

The confidence ruler (a motivational interviewing tool) uses a numeric scale to surface the client's own ideas for increasing their belief in their ability to succeed, making self-efficacy building feel self-directed.

During a check-in, a macro coach praises a client for tracking their meals every day for two weeks, focusing on effort and consistency rather than results. This behavior change principle is known as:

Answer: Process-focused reinforcement

Process-focused reinforcement rewards the behaviors and habits within the client's control rather than outcomes that may fluctuate, building sustainable motivation and resilience against scale-based setbacks.