Helping Patients Make Better Decisions

We are our decisions. And many of our patients need
to make better decisions—big ones, small ones, relationship ones.

There’s a lot involved in making decisions: Values.
Existential issues. Self-image. Trust. Self-discipline. And narratives of
powerlessness, destiny, and identity.

Many of our couples and individuals behave as if they don’t believe
what they know. They make life choices accordingly, and then they’re
surprised at life outcomes that anyone could see coming a mile away.

We’ll examine how people make decisions, evaluate decisions, and rationalize the results of their decisions. We’ll discuss how
decision-making is shaped by:

• Fear of conflict
• Shame and guilt
• Agreements, broken promises, and secrets
• Impulsivity and avoidance
• Perfectionism and procrastination
• Forgiveness, compassion, and self-compassion
• Existential dilemmas that people work hard to avoid.

You’ll learn how to help clients notice their decision-making patterns; how to motivate them to change; and how to help them actually change. We’ll look at clinical tools such as
reframing; existential support; identifying narratives; and values clarification. You will improve your ability to help clients make better
decisions—without telling them what to do.

Writer Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is
how we spend our lives.” I’d add, What we decide—and try to avoid
deciding—is also how we spend our lives. And that’s why we all need to know more
about how to help patients make better decisions.