Longevity Mentorship Series 2 Recap: Client Centred Care – Aidan Frai (Paid Intern)
I’m Aidan, a current intern at Longevity Exercise Physiology and final semester student in the Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology at Deakin University.
This month’s Mentorship Series 2 session shifted focus from placement to the thing that sits at the centre of everything we do as EPs: the client. Led again by senior leaders Ashleigh Mead, Georgia Wassall, and Ryan Hebron, the evening was built around one core idea. Treat the person, not the condition.
Here are the key themes and takeaways from the night.
1. Treat the Person, Not the Condition
Georgia opened the evening by reframing what client centred care looks like in practice. Two clients can present with almost identical medical histories, but the way you work with each of them as an EP could and should look vastly different. Georgia’s point was clear: the most successful EPs are the best at building relationships. Clinical knowledge matters, but it’s the ability to inspire behaviour change and help people exercise consistently that separates good from great.
Ashleigh built on this with a challenge. When students and new grads are asked about their ambitions, the answer is often “I want to be the best EP I can be.” But she asked us to sit with a question: is that putting the client first, or is that about you? Being a great EP isn’t about having the most unique exercise prescription. It’s about your ability to help people make meaningful behaviour change and empower them to move consistently.
A practical tool to anchor this mindset is what Longevity calls the “magic filter”: is this the best thing for the client, and how would this make the client feel? Whether you’re choosing an exercise, adjusting a program, or deciding how to communicate something difficult, filtering it through the client’s perspective keeps you grounded in what actually matters.
2. Empathy: Feeling With, Not For
Drawing on the work of Brené Brown, Ashleigh defined empathy as feeling with people rather than feeling for them. It involves perspective taking, staying out of judgment, recognising emotion in another person, and being able to communicate that recognition. The goal is to create a “you are not alone” environment, not to fix the problem in that moment, but to let the client feel genuinely understood.
Sympathy, by contrast, creates an uneven power dynamic and drives disconnection. You feel sorry for the person, or you dismiss the issue to try to make them feel better. Empathy does the opposite. It fuels connection by meeting the person where they are.
Ashleigh’s practical tip: put yourself in the client’s shoes and mentally walk through their exercise session with them. How does each movement feel as that person? Is the program still appropriate when you look at it through their eyes? It shifts your thinking from what you’ve prescribed to how it’s actually being experienced.
She also introduced a concept the team calls SOAP R, adding an extra R for reflection to the standard SOAP note process. After each session, take a moment to reflect on how the client felt, not just what you got through clinically. It’s a small addition, but it builds the habit of centring the client’s experience in everything you do.
Underpinning all of this is self awareness. Ashleigh made the point that in helping ourselves grow, we also become better for our clients. Building emotional intelligence, reflecting on your own patterns, and doing the personal development work now means you’ll be better equipped to understand what others are going through when it matters most.
3. The Client Journey
Ashleigh walked us through the full client journey at Longevity. The initial consult is about far more than gathering a health history. It’s about asking great follow up questions and building rapport. If a client says they get tired during an activity, don’t just accept it. Ask what kind of tired. Are they out of breath? Are they still chatting? Each follow up question deepens your understanding of who this person is and what they’re capable of.
From there, the strategy should be evidence based and individualised, but presented without bias. Don’t change your best recommendation based on assumptions. Present what you believe is optimal, ask if they can commit to it, and problem solve from there.
As the client progresses, the relationship deepens. When clients trust you and enjoy their sessions, they’re more likely to stay consistent, and that’s when real behaviour change starts to take hold. Ashleigh referenced the concept of the “trusted advisor,” where trust, credibility, and reliability compound over time to create life changing results.
4. Putting It Into Practice
The session closed with two scenarios that had us all thinking on our feet.
In the first, a previously committed client admits they haven’t done any homework and can’t face the gym after work. Georgia made an important point: as EPs, our instinct is often to educate, to explain why the homework matters. But that’s not what the client needs in that moment. Seek to understand first. Ask what’s going through their mind at the end of a workday. You’ll likely discover that energy is the real barrier, and from there you can collaboratively rework the strategy to find something that fits.
In the second, a highly consistent client suddenly cancels three sessions in a row and appears withdrawn. Ashleigh was honest about how easy it is to take this personally. But the magic filter applies here too. This isn’t about you. By asking open questions and validating their feelings, you might discover that life circumstances have temporarily shifted their priorities. The role of the EP is to meet them where they are and help reintroduce exercise in a way that feels manageable.
Both scenarios reinforced the same principle: seek to understand before you seek to solve.
My Key Takeaway
The thread that ran through the entire evening for me was self awareness. The magic filter asks you to step outside your own perspective. Empathy asks you to feel with, not for. SOAP R asks you to reflect on the client’s experience, not your own checklist. They’re all different tools, but they all start with the same thing: the willingness to look inward so you can show up better for the person in front of you.
We’d love to see you take part in our 2026 Longevity Mentorship Series!
To RSVP, please CLICK HERE!
Call us at Longevity Exercise Physiology Ascot Vale, Aspley, Broadbeach, Casey, Castle Hill, Coburg, Deagon, Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Five Dock, Gladesville, Gungahlin, Kingsgrove, Liverpool, Macarthur Campbelltown, Marrickville, Neutral Bay, Penrith, Pymble, Pyrmont, Randwick, Rhodes, Rosebery, Springfield, Yamanto today on 1300 964 002 to speak directly to one of our Senior Exercise Physiologists, or, for more opportunities, email students@longevitypt.com.au
Written by Aidan Frai (Intern)