When attempting to elicit "change talk" during Motivational Interviewing, the personal trainer should ______ of the client.

Making evaluations is a judgmental stance incompatible with MI's non-confrontational spirit; expressing one's thoughts instead of feelings also shifts focus from empathy to the trainer's own views.

Both 'making evaluations' and 'making demands' violate the core MI principles of non-judgment and collaborative partnership that are prerequisite for eliciting authentic change talk.

In MI, eliciting change talk requires the trainer to make objective observations (not evaluative judgments), express genuine feelings (empathy), identify the client's underlying needs, and make collaborative requests - not demands. This approach avoids triggering reactance and invites the client to voice their own reasons for change, which is the mechanism that drives behavior modification.

'Making demands' is a directive, coercive behavior that directly opposes MI's foundational principle of evoking the client's intrinsic motivation while honoring their autonomy.