“Just Tell Me What to Do”: Practising Helpful Responses Without Premature Advice

“You're the expert. Tell me what I should do.” This request can catch a trainee therapist off guard. Giving an immediate solution may bypass the client's perspective; refusing too abruptly may sound distancing. How can you be helpful without taking over the decision?

The issue is not advice in every situation

Clear information and practical guidance are appropriate in some clinical and psychoeducational contexts. The training issue is premature advice—offered before understanding the request, the person's priorities and the options available to them. Motivational Interviewing, for instance, emphasizes open questions, reflective listening, affirmations and summaries.

Consider three responses to the same request:

• “You need to call them today.” This may be too directive too soon.
• “I can never tell you what to do.” This may sound rigid.
• “It sounds like you're hoping for a clearer direction. What feels especially difficult about making this decision right now?” This acknowledges the need while inviting exploration.

None is universally correct. Appropriateness depends on context, therapeutic approach and any immediate safety considerations.

A simple learning framework: acknowledge, explore, collaborate

Acknowledge: the client is asking for help and may want reassurance that they are not alone. Explore: what decision is at stake, and which options have already been considered? Collaborate: when appropriate, work together to examine possibilities without presenting one as compulsory.

This is a training aid, not a protocol for every clinical situation.

Use TheraMentor's three response suggestions critically

TheraMentor's “Ιδέα διατύπωσης” (response suggestion) feature can offer three possible replies during a simulated session. The point is not to pick a supposedly perfect sentence. It is to compare what different responses might invite, assume or foreclose.

1. Start a role-play with one intention: “I will understand the request before proposing a solution.”
2. When the AI client requests advice, draft your own response first.
3. Open the response suggestions and compare the three alternatives with your draft.
4. Ask: Which assumes something not established? Which recognizes the request? Which leaves room for disagreement?
5. Send your own revised reply. Use message feedback (“Δες σχόλιο”) as another prompt for reflection—not as a final verdict.

What about safety-critical situations?

When immediate risk is suspected, “avoid giving advice” is not an adequate rule. Risk assessment and safety responses require appropriate professional protocols. An AI role-play cannot replace training in crisis management or qualified supervision.

Try it in practice

In your next TheraMentor simulation, treat the suggested responses as material for comparison. If you can explain why you selected a reply after two attempts, you are doing more than copying a polished phrase.

Start practising.