Why should I stay in an adult mindset when presenting a large dental treatment plan? Because the other two options sabotage you. None of us live in the adult state around the clock, that's just not how people work. But the consult room is exactly where you cannot afford to drop out of it. When you slip into the parent state you start lecturing, and patients dig in. When you slip into the child state you get defensive or anxious about the fee, and they smell it. Neither one helps a person make a clear, logical choice about their own health. [...]