In March 2026, Dr. Gard and EvaluSys CEO Tom Bixby released a new book, "The Ambivalence Paradox: Working With Clients Who Want Your Help But Simultaneously Resist It".  The book explores a familiar but often misunderstood dynamic: clients who genuinely want help yet simultaneously resist moving forward. Larry brings decades of insight into why this happens and, more importantly, how advisors can address it through better conversations.  Many of the ideas in this book informed the development of the Engagement Readiness Assessment™.

If you’ve worked as an advisor or consultant for any length of time, you’ve surely experienced client engagements that started off strong then inexplicably ground to a halt. The client appeared enthusiastic, invested, and ready to make changes, and then they retreated. Welcome to the all-too-human phenomenon of ambivalence. As much as clients want our help, there is often a part of them that resists doing things differently.

Whenever a client is investing significant time, energy, and resources in a transformational project, ambivalence can get triggered. Ignoring it doesn’t work, but neither does criticizing it. The authors, one a seasoned business advisor and the other a retired psychologist, wrote this book to help you better understand and respond to ambivalence as it arises within the context of an advisory relationship.