You can do some independent practice and study on your own time. This seems like something you are very passionate about. One technique that is widely used is called motivational interviewing, and it applies so well to nursing that I wish hospitals would provide nurses with this kind of training, but there is a book on amazon that is specifically geared toward healthcare providers.
Absolutely.
Motivational Interviewing in Health Care: Helping Patients Change Behavior (Applications of Motivational Interviewing) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1593856121/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_MZPEKRHYJCQRHRP7HRKX
It's the single greatest resource I've ever encountered in practice and I can't recommend it enough. Very short, easy to understand and implement, and it works! This book is basically a series of Jedi mind tricks and Inception techniques to get patients to take control over their oral health.
It sounds like you're already familiar with motivational interviewing (MI). The transtheoretical model of change tends to the theory most used to explain MI but I others have described MI in terms of Self-determination theory (SDT). SDT is a much broader theory and can cover just about any clinical context, whereas the transtheoretical model is better for describing changes in health habits. I think SDT can help us understand "how" to behave with clients in a way that will foster motivation and help us interpret "why" MI works. The following article by one of the developers of SDT is a pretty good read. It not only talks about the therapeutic relationship, it does a good job giving a brief overview of counseling styles: M.o.t.i.v.ation and Autonomy in Co.u.nseling, Psy.o.chtherapy, and Behavior Change: A ..... at Theory and Practice
Why does neurorehabilitation fail?
There's not much on the therapeutic relationship coming out of our field. Two articles come to mind, neither with a theoretical grounding:
Fourie, R. J. (2009). Qualitative study of the therapeutic relationship in speech and language therapy: perspectives of adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders / Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists, 44(6), 979–999.
Hersh, D., Worrall, L., Howe, T., Sherratt, S., & Davidson, B. (2012). SMARTER goal setting in aphasia rehabilitation. Aphasiology, 26(2), 220–233.
I also like this book on MI and healthcare: Motivational Interviewing in Health Care: Helping Patients Change Behavior
And this book is pretty good for that actual nuts and bolts of doing MI: How To Do Motivational Interviewing: A Guidebook