Notice what this resistance is bringing up in you as the coach. Are you in return becoming defensive? Are you attached to some specific outcome or model or set of steps you want your client to follow? Are you creating a safe space for exploration? Often a self-compassionate and mindful review of our own techniques as the coach, allows space for the resistance and defensiveness to be released.

To navigate a defensive client in coaching, practice active listening to understand their concerns and build trust. Empathize with their perspective while gently challenging their views to encourage self-reflection. Use open-ended questions and a supportive approach to foster openness. Establish a safe environment that empowers them to explore alternative solutions and overcome resistance effectively.

Dealing with a defensive client in coaching requires empathy, active listening, and strategic questioning. Start by creating a safe, non-judgmental space where the client feels heard and understood. Acknowledge their resistance without challenging it directly, as this helps reduce tension. Use open-ended questions to explore underlying concerns, reframing resistance as an opportunity for insight. Maintain curiosity, not confrontation, and connect feedback to their goals, showing how overcoming resistance aligns with their desired outcomes. Patience and rapport-building are key to gradually turning defensiveness into engagement and collaboration.

It depends on the context, unique processing & communication styles of the client. Get curious, what’s coming up for you as a coach? consider how you manage your own reactions/perceptions. Be curious & compassionate about where the defensiveness is coming from & why. Ensure you are using active listening skills so they feel seen, heard & understood. Check in & share observations without judgment to see what their reflections are. Cultivate, maintain & reassure safety. Defensiveness usually comes from a place of fear, uncertainty, wanting to feel safe etc. Explore the underpinning aspects like limiting beliefs, low self-esteem etc that may be creating resistance & what’s needed to transform them into effective change✨

In a coaching space, "effective action" only happens when the client takes it. In this case, by gently allowing my client to challenge to observe their responses, trying out few mirroring techniques and sharing credible examples of how defensiveness is becoming a barrier in communication and success - client can be navigated.