Intervention
Avoidance-Informed Directive Template
Build a directive that incorporates a client's known avoidance pattern rather than designing an assignment that will encounter the same resistance again.
This worksheet helps therapists redesign a directive by explicitly incorporating rather than ignoring a client’s consistent avoidance pattern. When a previous directive failed because it asked the client to do exactly what they consistently don’t do, this template rebuilds the assignment from the avoidance up.
Complete this worksheet before assigning any directive to a client with a consistent avoidance pattern. If the avoidance is not incorporated into the design of the assignment, the assignment will encounter it. Review the revised directive and its framing language before the session.
Avoidance-Informed Directive Template
Client (initials or identifier): _______________ Date: _______________
The client’s known avoidance pattern What do they consistently resist, refuse, or sidestep? Be specific — not “avoids emotional topics” but “changes the subject whenever the conversation approaches their relationship with their father.”
The therapeutic purpose this directive needs to serve What should the assignment accomplish? Stated as a clinical goal, not a task.
Current directive (before adjustment) The assignment as currently formulated:
Where the current directive ignores the avoidance What does this assignment ask the client to do that is exactly what they consistently don’t do?
The incorporation How can the avoidance pattern be built into the structure of the directive rather than worked around?
The revised directive Written out completely, incorporating the avoidance pattern:
Framing language How to introduce this directive in session:
Opening phrase: _______________________________________________ Clinical rationale to offer: _______________________________________________
What compliance looks like The minimum that would count as adequate completion:
What partial compliance looks like How to use whatever the client does do — including avoidance of the revised directive:
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