Things I’ve Learned by Watching CNS Candidates: You Don’t Need to Know Everything

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately watching CNS candidates conduct sessions with clients, observing how they navigate real-life conversations, clinical uncertainty, and the art of holding space. This new series, Things I’ve Learned by Watching CNS Candidates, shares some of the biggest insights I’ve gathered from that process—what I’ve noticed, what I’ve learned, and what I hope helps you as you grow into your unique way of doing things.

One of the most common moments I see in supervision happens right after a client asks a question the candidate wasn’t expecting.

You can almost see it on their face—their brain goes into overdrive, rifling through everything they’ve ever learned about that topic. Their pulse quickens, their voice speeds up, and suddenly, we’re off on a ten-minute monologue about cell transport or enzyme cofactors or the Krebs cycle.

It’s a totally understandable instinct. When you’re new, uncertainty feels scary. You want to prove that you belong in the clinician’s chair, that you’ve earned your credentials, that you have something valuable to offer.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need to know everything.

In fact, trying to sound like you do often gets in the way of connection.

So today’s lesson from watching supervision sessions is this—when a client asks a question and you don’t immediately know the answer, you have three great options:

Tell them only what they’re asking.
Get curious about why they’re asking.
Give yourself permission to not know.

Let’s unpack those.

1. Tell the client only what they’re asking

When we’re nervous, we often over-explain. Clients ask a simple question, and instead of giving a focused response, we start giving a lecture.

Here’s a real-world example. A client asks, “Should I be worried about oxalates in spinach?”

Nervousness might lead us to respond: “Well, oxalates are these compounds that can bind to calcium in the gut and sometimes form kidney stones, but that depends on your genetics and hydration, and there’s also the microbiome to consider because certain bacteria degrade oxalates, and of course, spinach also has lots of magnesium and folate and so we don’t want to eliminate it completely, but…”

By minute one, the client’s eyes are glazing over. They didn’t ask for a dissertation, they wanted reassurance or direction.

A more effective response might be: “For most people, eating spinach regularly isn’t a problem. If you’ve had kidney stones before, we might take a closer look, but otherwise, you’re fine to enjoy it.”

That’s it. That’s all they needed.

A good rule of thumb: if the client didn’t ask it, you don’t need to answer it.

Of course, there’s nuance, sometimes a client’s question opens the door to important education. But early in your practice, it’s better to err on the side of brevity. You can always add context later once you understand what they’re really asking for.

2. Get behind why the client is asking

This one is crucial, and often overlooked.

Sometimes, the question on the surface isn’t the question underneath.

One of my earliest clients was a gentleman who kept asking, over and over, whether his coffee consumption was okay. Every few minutes: “So two cups is fine, right? That’s not too much?”

He only drank two cups a day. His labs were good. His sleep was fine. I kept giving him the same reassurance, but he’d circle back again.

It wasn’t until after the session that it hit me—this probably wasn’t about caffeine at all. His mother had struggled with substance use disorder. He wasn’t asking about coffee; he was asking if he was addicted.

That realization changed how I listened to clients forever.

When a client asks a question like that, try to get curious about why it matters to them. What fear, hope, or story might be underneath?

Here are a few phrases that can help you gently explore that layer:

“That’s a great question—tell me a little about what’s behind it.”
“Can you share what made you think to ask that?”
“What would it mean for you if the answer were yes—or no?”
“Tell me more about why this feels important right now.”

Sometimes the client will give you exactly what you need to know. Other times, you’ll simply get a better sense of their relationship with control, safety, or trust. Either way, you’ve moved from giving information to offering understanding.

Because our job isn’t to be walking encyclopedias. Our job is to connect the science to the person sitting in front of us.

3. Give yourself permission to not know

Here’s the part that makes most new clinicians squirm: it’s okay not to know something.

You are not expected to have the answer to every supplement dose, lab value, or molecular pathway memorized. None of us do.

I promise you that most experienced CNSs have binders, bookmarked databases, online libraries, and books within arm’s reach. We look things up. We text colleagues. We check references after the session.

In my own practice, I say things like:

“Bless you for thinking I remember that off the top of my head.”
“Ooh, great question—I’m not an expert in thyroid nutrition, but I can absolutely check with my colleague Liz, who is.”
“That’s such a good point. Let me look that up and circle back so I can give you the most accurate information.”

Every time I say something like that, clients smile. It humanizes the interaction. It also models curiosity and integrity. They can see that I value accuracy over ego, and that I’m committed to getting them a clear answer, not just filling space.

When you give yourself permission to not know, you also give the client permission to not know, and that opens up real collaboration.

Why We Feel the Pressure

So why do so many candidates feel like they have to know it all?

Partly because of how we’re trained. The CNS pathway is rigorous. You study biochemistry, physiology, medical nutrition therapy, supplements, and systems biology. It’s a mountain of information, and after all that, you want to use it.

But once you start seeing clients, you realize how wide the real world is. No textbook can capture the complexity of human life, emotion, or behavior. You’ll always run into situations where you think, I’ve never seen this before.

That’s not a failure, it’s the beginning of mastery.

What Clients Actually Want

Here’s the secret: clients don’t hire you for encyclopedic recall. They hire you for safety, presence, and partnership.

When you can stay calm and curious in the face of uncertainty, you build trust. When you can say, “Let’s find out together,” you become the kind of clinician people return to again and again.

And when you stop trying to fill every silence with information, you make space for your client’s wisdom to emerge.

Because underneath all the questions about coffee or carbs or collagen, what clients really want to know is, “Am I okay?”

Final Thoughts

Watching supervision has shown me that the best clinicians aren’t the ones who know the most, they’re the ones who stay grounded when they don’t.

You will forget things. You will get questions that stump you. You will look something up after a session and think, Ah, that’s what I should have said. That’s part of the process.

Over time, you’ll develop a rhythm: a balance between knowledge and humility, precision and presence.

So next time a client asks a question that catches you off guard, take a breath. Resist the urge to fill the air. Tell them only what they’re asking. Get curious about why they’re asking. And if you don’t know, just say so.

Because the real expertise isn’t in knowing everything—it’s in knowing how to stay curious, calm, and connected when you don’t.

What are your thoughts? Drop a comment or share this with a colleague who’s on the same path.
– Meg