--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The type of statements to avoid are…" description: "\"“The type of statements to avoid are indirect, open-ended suggestions, especially about feeling, and truisms or platitudes. Such statements induce a st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/elliot-greene-35649_statements-avoid_the-type-of-statements-to-avoid-are-indi_2946506.jpg" --- # The type of statements to avoid are indirect, open-ended… ![“The type of statements to avoid are indirect, open-ended suggestions, especially about feeling, and truisms or platitudes. Such statements induce a stuck feeling in clients with a compressed structure. They are inwardly trying to achieve the attitudes or actions suggested by the statements and…” quote by Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/elliot-greene-35649_statements-avoid_the-type-of-statements-to-avoid-are-indi_2946506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/elliot-greene-35649_statements-avoid_the-type-of-statements-to-avoid-are-indi_2946506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/elliot-greene-35649_statements-avoid_the-type-of-statements-to-avoid-are-indi_2946506.jpg) > ““The type of statements to avoid are indirect, open-ended suggestions, especially about feeling, and truisms or platitudes. Such statements induce a stuck feeling in clients with a compressed structure. They are inwardly trying to achieve the attitudes or actions suggested by the statements and simultaneously resisting and resenting them, while also feeling humiliated by the expectations implied in the statements and shameful of their resistance all at the same time. This reveals why the best intentioned therapist can end up with a client who makes little progress, seems bogged down, and makes the therapist feel ineffective.”” [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Therapists should avoid vague, directive statements that trigger resistance and shame in clients, as they can stall progress and undermine therapeutic effectiveness. **In simple terms:** Avoid vague, directive statements that cause client resistance. Key Takeaway Use concrete, collaborative language. Themes therapy communication resistance client‑therapist dynamics Mood reflective empathetic Type therapeutic insightful When to use this quote - counseling sessions - coaching - conflict resolution - behavioral change - team meetings Key Concepts Motivational interviewing psychodynamic resistance client autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can you phrase guidance to empower rather than dictate? - What alternatives promote client autonomy? A Different Perspective Clients may still feel pressured if language is not truly collaborative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoid Indirect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-indirect-4419101/) [Intentioned Therapist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intentioned-therapist-4419100/) [Statements Avoid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statements-avoid-4419099/) [Statements Induce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statements-induce-4419102/) [Suggested Statements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggested-statements-4419103/) ## Related quotes > [“Movement is the province of the muscular system: a child who needs to inhibit his or her natural feelings, whether for healthy or unhealthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/movement-is-the-province-of-the-muscular-system-a-child-who-needs-to/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Armor and character work together. Character emphasizes the form rather than the content of a person's psychological defenses. It is a person's typical way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/armor-and-character-work-together-character-emphasizes-the-form/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Because they cannot be direct, they must attract the other person toward them without becoming vulnerable themselves. Imagine what it would be like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/because-they-cannot-be-direct-they-must-attract-the-other-person/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“On the bodily level, tension resulting from introjections may settle in the throat, stomach, or gut. In terms of body language, this is related…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/on-the-bodily-level-tension-resulting-from-introjections-may-settle/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“A way to do this is to "hand back" the projection to the client. For example, if the client says, "You're making me feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/a-way-to-do-this-is-to-hand-back-the-projection-to-the-client-for/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Because people with a disembodied structure often have no bodily sensation, they also cannot sense where they begin and end, which reflects being highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/because-people-with-a-disembodied-structure-often-have-no-bodily/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Although this is a reasonable use for massage, people with an achieving rigid structure must, because of their pattern, see it as the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/although-this-is-a-reasonable-use-for-massage-people-with-an/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“This leads to a pattern in which the child cries out and either gets nothing or gets an insufficient or intermittent response. Then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/this-leads-to-a-pattern-in-which-the-child-cries-out-and-either-gets/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“The holding up against collapse often appears in the shoulders and upper back (Lowen, 1975). Some tensions develops there to resist the tendency to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/the-holding-up-against-collapse-often-appears-in-the-shoulders-and/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“People with an entertaining rigid structure are brought up in environments in which the parents are uncomfortable with expressing feelings. This is not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/people-with-an-entertaining-rigid-structure-are-brought-up-in/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“People with a compressed structure, out of necessity, have crushed, numbed, and muffled their feelings. Not only do they need space, but it sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/people-with-a-compressed-structure-out-of-necessity-have-crushed/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Much of the control exerted by the caregiver is accomplished through being indirect, such as implying expectations. The caregiver may tell the child what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/much-of-the-control-exerted-by-the-caregiver-is-accomplished-through/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) ## More by Elliot Greene > [“Movement is the province of the muscular system: a child who needs to inhibit his or her natural feelings, whether for healthy or unhealthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/movement-is-the-province-of-the-muscular-system-a-child-who-needs-to/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“People with a compressed structure, out of necessity, have crushed, numbed, and muffled their feelings. Not only do they need space, but it sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/people-with-a-compressed-structure-out-of-necessity-have-crushed/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“People with an entertaining rigid structure are brought up in environments in which the parents are uncomfortable with expressing feelings. This is not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/people-with-an-entertaining-rigid-structure-are-brought-up-in/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“The holding up against collapse often appears in the shoulders and upper back (Lowen, 1975). Some tensions develops there to resist the tendency to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/the-holding-up-against-collapse-often-appears-in-the-shoulders-and/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“This leads to a pattern in which the child cries out and either gets nothing or gets an insufficient or intermittent response. Then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/this-leads-to-a-pattern-in-which-the-child-cries-out-and-either-gets/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Although this is a reasonable use for massage, people with an achieving rigid structure must, because of their pattern, see it as the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/although-this-is-a-reasonable-use-for-massage-people-with-an/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Because people with a disembodied structure often have no bodily sensation, they also cannot sense where they begin and end, which reflects being highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/because-people-with-a-disembodied-structure-often-have-no-bodily/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“A way to do this is to "hand back" the projection to the client. 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Character emphasizes the form rather than the content of a person's psychological defenses. It is a person's typical way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/armor-and-character-work-together-character-emphasizes-the-form/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) > [“Much of the control exerted by the caregiver is accomplished through being indirect, such as implying expectations. The caregiver may tell the child what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-greene/much-of-the-control-exerted-by-the-caregiver-is-accomplished-through/) [Elliot Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) [Explore all 13 Elliot Greene quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-greene/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The type of statements to avoid are indirect, open-ended suggestions, especially about feeling, and truisms or platitudes. 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