Purpose 🎯🕵️
Help clients uncover the real barriers behind procrastination and task avoidance.
Let’s Talk About It 🗣️
When a client says, “I’m just lazy,” become curious instead of corrective.
Choose one task they’ve been avoiding and ask:
“What makes this task difficult?”
As they answer, continue gently exploring until the underlying barrier becomes clearer.
Common barriers include:
- Boredom
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Not knowing where to start
- Perfectionism
- Fear of failure
- Too many decisions
- Low energy
- Anxiety
Once you’ve identified the barrier, ask:
“What would make this feel just a little easier?”
If the Conversation Gets Stuck 💡
- What’s the very first thing your brain says when you think about this task?
- What part feels biggest?
- If someone else had to do this, what advice would you give them?
Telehealth / Whiteboard Version 🔎
Draw a magnifying glass. Write the task inside the lens and list possible barriers around it. Circle the biggest one together.
Why This Works 🌱
Clients often believe they lack motivation. More often, they are experiencing an executive functioning barrier. Identifying the barrier makes problem-solving much more effective.
Clinical Pearl 🧠
Avoid rushing into solutions. Understanding why the task feels difficult is often more therapeutic than solving it immediately.
Documentation Language 📝
Therapist utilized cognitive and behavioral exploration to identify barriers contributing to task avoidance. Therapist collaborated with patient to develop individualized strategies to increase task initiation.
Clinical Focus: Task Avoidance, Barrier Identification, Cognitive and Behavioral Exploration