How to Elicit Change Talk: A Health Coach's Guide to Sparking Client Motivation

Change talk is the language of motivation. When clients articulate their own reasons for change—rather than hearing reasons from you—their commitment dramatically increases.

This guide covers the DARN-CAT framework for recognizing and eliciting change talk in health coaching conversations.

Understanding Change Talk vs. Sustain Talk

Every coaching conversation contains two types of language:

Change Talk: Statements that favor making a change

• •"I want to feel better."
• •"I could probably start with small steps."
• •"I need to do something about this."

Sustain Talk: Statements that favor the status quo

• •"But I've always been this way."
• •"It's too hard to change now."
• •"I don't see the point."

Your job as a coach is to listen for change talk, reflect it back, and help clients hear themselves talking about change.

The DARN-CAT Framework

DARN-CAT helps you recognize different types of change talk:

Preparatory Change Talk (DARN):

• •Desire: "I want...", "I wish...", "I'd like..."
• •Ability: "I could...", "I can...", "I'm able to..."
• •Reasons: "I would feel better if...", "It would help me..."
• •Need: "I have to...", "I must...", "I should..."

Mobilizing Change Talk (CAT):

• •Commitment: "I will...", "I'm going to...", "I promise..."
• •Activation: "I'm ready to...", "I'm prepared to..."
• •Taking Steps: "I started...", "I've been..."

How to Elicit More Change Talk

The key to eliciting change talk is asking questions that invite it. Here are techniques organized by type:

Eliciting Desire

"What would you like to see happen with your health?"

"If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing, what would it be?"

"What appeals to you about making this change?"

Eliciting Ability

"What gives you confidence that you could do this if you decided to?"

"When have you successfully made changes in the past? What helped?"

"What strengths do you have that could help you here?"

Eliciting Reasons

"What would be the benefits of making this change?"

"How would your life be different if you achieved this goal?"

"What concerns you about staying where you are?"

Eliciting Need

"How important is this change to you right now?"

"What would happen if you didn't make any changes?"

"What makes this feel urgent or necessary?"

Responding to Change Talk

When you hear change talk, your job is to amplify it:

Reflect it back: "You're saying you really want to have more energy for your kids." Ask for elaboration: "Tell me more about that." Affirm it: "That's a powerful reason to make a change." Summarize it: At the end of your session, gather all the change talk together and reflect it back as a cohesive summary.

The Pitfall of Arguing FOR Change

Here's the paradox: the more YOU argue for change, the more your client will argue against it. This is called the "righting reflex" and it's the enemy of change talk.

Instead of telling clients why they should change, ask questions that help them tell YOU why they want to change. Their own words are far more persuasive than yours.

Practice Makes Perfect

Hearing change talk in real-time conversations—and responding to it effectively—is a skill that develops through practice. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes to guide conversations toward commitment.