Want to know how to help clients who are stuck? You’re in the right place. Feeling stuck is one of the most common reasons people choose to work with a coach. But what do coaches do when someone feels overwhelmed, paralyzed by options, or unsure of their next move?
We asked our community of experienced coaches to share their favorite tools, questions, and techniques for helping clients get unstuck. From visualizations and somatic work to powerful reframes and journaling prompts, these are the strategies they turn to when it’s time to break through the fog and start moving forward.
1. Journaling
Journaling is one of the most popular tools coaches use to help clients get unstuck, because it works.
No matter the style, whether guided, stream-of-consciousness, or a simple bullet list, journaling helps clients access what lies beneath the surface, reconnect with their own wisdom, and generate clarity without pressure.
Here’s what coaches had to say about journaling, including a few prompts they use to create forward movement.
“Journaling is a powerful tool to move ideas from your mind into the tangible world. Putting thoughts on paper brings clarity that scattered, floating ideas just can’t provide. Seeing your thoughts in front of you can offer a sense of relief — and that relief is often the key to getting unstuck and making progress.”
— Dr Evelyn Higgins
“One of the most powerful tools I use with clients is journaling—specifically around their thoughts and beliefs. When someone feels stuck, we don’t just look at what they’re doing—we explore what they’re believing. Journaling helps them slow down enough to actually hear the story they’re telling themselves.
“I encourage clients to look at their thoughts without judgment or shame, but with awareness and curiosity. Often, there are limiting beliefs running on repeat—beliefs about their worth, their capacity, or their expectations of what success ‘should’ look like. Once those beliefs are on paper, they become easier to shift.”
— Martine Williams
“My primary method, particularly for unearthing the profound insights needed to get unstuck, is an amplified form of journaling techniques. I guide clients to use specific, bold prompts designed to bypass the conscious mind and access the raw, untamed wisdom within. It’s about ‘free-fierce writing’ where they unleash their thoughts without filter, uncovering hidden desires, challenging ingrained assumptions, and visualizing their audacious possibilities. This creates immediate clarity and kickstarts the momentum needed to move forward with unshakeable conviction.”
— Sonja Sells
Journal Prompts to Get Unstuck
Try these coach-recommended journal prompts to get unstuck:
- What am I avoiding—and why?
- What would I do if I trusted myself?
- What story am I telling myself about why I’m stuck?
- What am I afraid will happen if I move forward?
- If my future self could give me advice right now, what would they say?
Whether it’s used to identify limiting beliefs, process emotion, or ignite bold action, journaling remains a trusted and transformational practice in many coaches’ toolkits.
2. Asking Questions
A powerful question asked at the right time can change everything. Here are some questions coaches like to ask when their clients feel stuck.
“I ask her one thing: ‘Who are you being right now – and is it the woman who’s built for where you’re going?’ Stuckness isn’t the problem. Identity misalignment is. When a woman feels blocked, it’s usually because she’s trying to move forward while staying loyal to a version of herself she’s outgrown. This question doesn’t just clarify the next step, it reveals why she hasn’t taken it yet. Because action isn’t hard when it’s coming from the right self-concept.”
— Emma Vincent
“‘If the part of you that’s overwhelmed had a seat at the table, what would it say? What about the part of you that wants to move forward?’ I invite the client to explore their internal conflict by personifying different parts, which reduces self-judgment and often unlocks surprising insights.”
— Raluca Olariu
“I return to this simple but powerful question: ‘What do you know to be true right now?’ This helps anchor them in the present moment and reconnect to their inner wisdom, collecting evidence of what’s going ‘right’, what they know to be true, or even who they know that might be able to help. From that place, we can often identify one small next step, rather than spiraling in ‘all the steps.’”
— Katie Pulsifer
“I ask a potent question that rattles the cage: ‘If you stripped away every expectation, every ‘should,’ and every limiting belief, what is the raw, untamed desire that’s truly whispering to you right now?’ Once we uncover that authentic yearning, we then move to Ignite, challenging them with: ‘What’s the fiercest, most unapologetic vision you have for yourself when you’re no longer bound by this feeling of stuckness?’ This isn’t about incremental steps; it’s about a radical reclamation of their inner power.”
— Sonja Sells
“I’ll often ask: ‘What would you do if you believed you were capable, supported, and safe to take the next step?’ That single question shifts them out of fear and into possibility. Because when you change what you believe, you change what you do—and how you do it.”
— Martine Williams
If you’re looking for more powerful questions to use in your coaching sessions, check out our collection of 101 Life Coaching Questions That Work.
3. Exercises, Methods, or Frameworks
Whether it’s a method they developed on their own or a tool they borrowed, many coaches use tried and true frameworks and simple exercises to help clients create clarity and forward momentum.
“One of my favorite exercises is what I call a Capacity Check-In. It’s simple but transformative. I ask clients to reflect on:
- What’s draining me?
- What’s fueling me?
- What’s one thing I can release this week to reclaim peace or progress?
“This practice brings awareness to their energy—not just their schedule—and helps them take aligned action from a place of clarity instead of pressure. Because often, the breakthrough doesn’t come from pushing harder—it comes from creating space to think differently.”
— Martine Williams
“I love recommending ‘mirror writing,’ which is an exercise whereby a client writes a question with their dominant hand and answers using the non-dominant hand. Even if the penmanship is wobbly, the meaning is crystal clear to my clients. Techniques like this enable the deeper wisdom of the soul to surface.
“I also use the coin flip trick, when people are stymied as to what is the right way to proceed. Setting before them a simple outcome (yes: heads; tails: no), their gut will give them the answer they really want. For example, if the coin lands heads up, but the client is disappointed, that means that they really wanted to see the tails response.”
“[In addition, I use a technique I call] the Emptying the Handbag Approach. Overwhelm is paralyzing. Action is the only way to jump start progress, so I ask clients to literally dump their handbag onto a flat surface and start sorting. The key: before they upend their purse, I instruct them to write out a question or intention that has been creating a blockage. For example, “What do I do about my job?” Through sifting their detritus (old receipts, gum wrappers, pens, etc.), they are giving their conscious brain a task while their CPU or subconscious goes to work on the intention.
“This achieves at least two things. When people feel overwhelmed, accomplishing *anything* creates a ‘win stacking’ dopamine hit that fulfills an immediate reward need. It also usually generates a solution, because by the time the purse is clean, the subconscious will have provided a suggestion for next steps.”
— Molly Cantrell-Kraig
“One of my favorite tools is what I call the Triple C Belief Breakthrough Method:
- Catch the thought that’s creating the overwhelm
- Check it for truth
- Change it to something more aligned and empowering”
— Martine Williams
“I ask them to get curious about the stuck feeling itself—like, if it had a shape or a color, what would it be? Sometimes it feels like a heavy rock, other times a buzzing noise. This little exercise helps them step away from the overwhelm and connect with what’s really going on inside. It’s surprising how just noticing the feeling differently can open up space for fresh ideas and the next step forward.”
— Betty Chatzipli
“When a client feels stuck or overwhelmed, I always return to my three-phase framework: Awareness, Acceptance, and Aligned Action.
“In the Awareness stage, I gently support the client in exploring what’s really going on underneath the surface. …A powerful question I use here is: “What’s the story you’re telling yourself about this situation?”
“From there, we move into Acceptance, which is often the most skipped step in traditional coaching approaches. Here, we don’t rush to fix or force change. Instead, we meet the discomfort – somatically, emotionally, mentally, behaviourally, and even unconsciously. I might ask: “Can you allow yourself to be exactly where you are, without judgment, just for a moment?” This shift into acceptance allows resistance to soften and creates space for new possibilities to arise naturally, rather than from pressure or urgency.
“Only then do we move into the third phase, Aligned Action – which is so different from just ‘action’. It’s action that flows from clarity and alignment, not force or fear. Clients often report that what felt impossible just moments ago becomes surprisingly easeful once they’ve gone through these steps.
“I’ve used this process countless times, with myself and with high-achieving women navigating identity shifts, burnout, and life transitions. It works because it honours the human experience and empowers forward momentum.”
— Julia Seidel ACC
4. Somatic, Visualization, or Blended Techniques
When clients feel stuck, most coaches agree they’re spending too much time in their heads and not enough in their bodies. These techniques help them bypass their unproductive, looping thoughts and reconnect with their inner knowing.
“I often use a mix of simple somatic and journaling techniques to help clients get unstuck. For example, I might guide them to check in with their body—notice where they feel tension or tightness—because our bodies often hold the stories our minds can’t yet tell. Then, I encourage them to write freely, without judgment, about what’s coming up in those moments. This combination helps bring unconscious feelings into awareness and creates space for clarity and movement. It’s amazing how shifting attention between body and words can unlock what’s been stuck inside.”
— Betty Chatzipli
“I work with clients across five levels: Somatic, Emotional, Mental, Behavioural, and Unconscious. Each level unlocks insight and momentum in different ways.
“Some of my most-used techniques include:
- Somatic tracking: Noticing where stuckness lives in the body (e.g., tight chest, clenched jaw), and bringing breath and awareness to it.
- Parts dialogue: Giving voice to the different inner parts – like the achiever, the scared inner child, or the perfectionist – and facilitating a conversation between them.
- Guided journaling: Prompts like “What am I afraid will happen if I move forward?” or “What does my stuckness want me to know?” often surface subconscious blocks.
- Visualisation: Particularly future self work – where they envision the version of themselves who has already moved through this moment with grace and clarity.
“These tools shift clients out of their head and into embodied truth, where movement becomes natural – not forced.”
— Julia Seidel ACC
“I often combine several methods—somatic, visual, and journaling techniques—to help clients break through blocks and move forward in their health and wellness journeys. Here are some of my favorite approaches:
- Somatic Awareness (Body Listening) – I guide clients to tune into physical sensations—where tension, tightness, or discomfort show up in their bodies when they talk about feeling stuck. Sometimes just naming that sensation (“I feel a heavy tightness in my chest”) helps release trapped emotion or anxiety. Additionally, simple breathwork or gentle movement (like shaking out the limbs or stretching) can reset the nervous system and unlock stuck energy.
- Visualizations – I use guided imagery to help clients mentally “step into” a future version of themselves who has overcome their block. Example: Visualizing a day in their life feeling energized, confident, and clear about their next health step. This helps create a positive, motivating internal image that shifts mindset from stuck to empowered.
- Micro-commitments – We break down goals into tiny, manageable actions—sometimes as small as 1 minute of a new habit. These tiny wins build momentum and confidence over time.
“Combining these methods helps clients not just intellectually understand their blocks but feel and process them, which is essential for real transformation.”
— Kristeva Dowling
“I use a blend of self-trust practices in my work—journaling to access truth, visualization to reconnect to identity, and simple somatic grounding tools like breath, anchoring, and nervous system regulation. My clients often leave sessions with a written “self-trust statement” that they can come back to as a reminder of who they are and what they know – the inherent truth that they are whole, wise, and worthy and that this ‘stuckness: is temporary.’”
— Katie Pulsifer
5. Additional Tools to Get Unstuck
Here are a few bonus tools coaches find useful…
- Relaxation and breathing techniques to calm and regulate the nervous system
- Affirmations
- Meditation or guided journeys
- The Eisenhower Matrix
- Gratitude practices
Or, try this simple suggestion from keto-nutrition coach, Kristeva Dowling:
“Return to One Thing: Walk Barefoot Outside. When everything feels like too much—too many rules, symptoms, opinions—strip it down to one primal act that reconnects you to your body.
“Walking barefoot on the earth does three things:
- Grounds your nervous system (literally and emotionally).
- Reconnects you to the present moment—you feel the texture of the earth, the temperature, your balance.
- Signals safety to your body, shifting it out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest, where healing and clarity can start to return.”
Conclusion
There’s no single path out of stuckness, but there’s always a way forward. The tools shared here are just a glimpse into how coaches help clients navigate uncertainty and take meaningful steps forward. Whether you’re a coach looking to expand your toolkit or someone looking for your own next move, we hope these strategies sparked something useful.
Sometimes all it takes is one small shift—a question, a practice, a perspective—to break the inertia. Keep exploring, keep experimenting, and trust that clarity comes through movement. And if you’re still feeling stuck, don’t worry: the next step doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.
So, what is your next step? Here’s a suggestion: Pick one of the tools in this article. Practice it yourself first, then try it out in a coaching session.
Thanks to our contributing coaches!
This article wouldn’t exist without the expertise and insights of the following coaches:
- Katie Pulsifer – Katie is a master certified coach and founder of the Golden Coaching Certification, where she helps coaches build unshakable confidence and lead from their whole, wise, and worthy selves. Website
- Sonja Sells – Sonja is a Fierce Era Strategist who empowers women in their mid-thirties and beyond to shatter rigid routines, ignite their passions, and build thriving online businesses, stepping boldly into an era of true purpose and unwavering impact. Website
- Martine Williams – Martine Williams is a Life Alignment Coach, keynote speaker, CEO and founder of Illuminate YOU Coaching, and host of the Life Coaching for Mompreneurs podcast. Website
- Dr Evelyn Higgins, DC, C Ad, DACACD, DABDA – Evelyn is a doctor and mental health coach dedicated to helping individuals uncover the root causes of their physical and behavioral wellness challenges. Website
- Betty Chatzipli – Betty is the Owner and CEO of Expert on Your Life, LLC, and a Women’s Empowerment Coach, Mentor, and Instructional Designer who helps women build self-determined lives through coaching, thought-provoking content, and practical online courses. Website
- Julia Seidel ACC – Julia is a Life & Business Coach helping high-achieving women in transition create fulfilling lives and purpose-led businesses – without sacrificing who they are. Website
- Emma Vincent – Emma Vincent recalibrates high-functioning women back to their power, wealth, visibility, impact, freedom, and legacy. No mindset hacks. No performance. Just truth. Website
- Kristeva Dowling – Kristeva Dowling, MSocSc, is a dedicated keto-nutrition coach with a passion for helping others achieve optimal health through our ancestral way of eating and living. Facebook
- Raluca Olariu –Raluca is a transformative coach who specialises in helping people overcome chronic procrastination and take back control of their lives. Website
- Molly Cantrell-Kraig – Molly Cantrell-Kraig is a strategic communicator and resilience coach who helps people and organizations navigate change with clarity, intention, and impact. LinkedIn
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