This course gives clinicians the tools they need to confidently manage challenging patient interactions without losing control of the session—or their own emotional bandwidth. From vague cases and low-trust patients to frequent no-shows and emotionally charged visits, this training is built on real-world examples and evidence-based communication strategies.

You’ll learn how to identify patient personality types quickly and mold your communication style to reduce friction. We’ll show you how to use calibrated questions and labeling techniques to steer conversations toward collaboration, not confrontation. You'll also gain tools to reinforce boundaries around late arrivals, cancellations, and unrealistic expectations—without escalating tension.

Whether you're dealing with patients who’ve “tried everything,” those who refuse basic movement, or those caught in complex multi-provider situations, this course helps you navigate those barriers with both empathy and clarity.

Best of all, you’ll walk away with scripts, frameworks, and phrasing to use right away—not just theory.

What You'll Learn

  • How to spot communication red flags in the first 60 seconds

  • Real-time strategies for dealing with emotional, anxious, or skeptical patients

  • How to say hard things without losing rapport

  • De-escalation tools for miscommunication, missed appointments, and power struggles

  • Scripts for setting expectations around pain, progress, and responsibility

  • How to respond when patients push for things outside your scope

Course curriculum

    1. How to use this course

    2. Before we begin...

    3. Welcome!

    1. Lesson 1 - Overview

    2. Lesson 2 - Strategies & Tactics

    3. Lesson 3 - Example 1: The Patient with the Complex Diagnosis

    4. Lesson 4 - Example 2: The Patient Who Tried Everything

    5. Lesson 5 - Example 3: The Patient Who Always Cancels or Shows Up Late

    6. Lesson 6 - Example 4: The Patient Where Everything Hurts

    1. Course Evaluation Form

    2. Thank You!

About this course

  • Free
  • 11 lessons
  • 0.5 hours of video content

Discover your potential, starting today