Clean Language: Stop Putting Words in Their Mouth
Three swaps. Use their noun. Don’t lead the client into your framework.
“So you’re anxious” is your word. Theirs might be “tight.” Clean language keeps their noun. Use it after intake and inside feedback. This is not a discovery trick. It’s how you stop coaching a person you invented. Progress notes should quote them.
Three Swaps
| You want to say | Say instead |
|---|---|
| “So you’re anxious.” | “And that’s like what?” |
| “You need boundaries.” | “What needs to happen around that?” |
| “This is a visibility block.” | “When ‘almost send,’ what happens just before?” |
Their metaphor stays theirs. Yours stays in your notebook.
How to Practice
Write their last noun on the page. Build the next question from that noun only. If a certification word appears, delete the question.
Where Coaches Break
- Translating them into your school’s vocabulary so you feel fluent.
- Stacking three clean questions. One is clean. Three is an interview.
The 3-Minute Action
In the next session, ban one pet word (alignment, block, visibility). Replace it with their last noun.