What is a recommended approach when progress stalls due to external factors?

• A. Punish the client for the stall.
• B. Abandon the plan entirely.
• C. Normalize setbacks, reevaluate goals, adjust plans, and reinforce motivation and support.
• D. Ignore the stall and wait for conditions to improve.

Answer: (C)

When progress stalls because of external factors, the best approach is to normalize setbacks, reevaluate goals to keep them realistic, adjust the plan to fit the new conditions, and reinforce motivation and support. This keeps momentum going by aligning actions with current reality, maintaining accountability, and helping the client stay emotionally engaged. Punishing the client, abandoning the plan, or waiting passively for conditions to improve erodes trust and progress; the first option treats the stall as a solvable hurdle, not a flaw, and supports adaptability—key to sustainable change.