How to Handle Difficult Patients
Learn strategies and tactics on how best to communicate and build rapport with your patients.
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.
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
How to use this course
Before we begin...
Welcome!
Lesson 1 - Overview
Lesson 2 - Strategies & Tactics
Lesson 3 - Example 1: The Patient with the Complex Diagnosis
Lesson 4 - Example 2: The Patient Who Tried Everything
Lesson 5 - Example 3: The Patient Who Always Cancels or Shows Up Late
Lesson 6 - Example 4: The Patient Where Everything Hurts
Course Evaluation Form
Thank You!