6.1.10 Motivational Interviewing

6.1.10 Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing: Fundamental Concepts and Approaches; General Approaches; Adaptations of Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centred counselling style that aims to elicit and strengthen a person’s own motivation and commitment to change. The approach is based on the principle that individuals are more likely to change their behaviour if they perceive the change as being their own idea rather than being imposed by an external authority. MI is widely used in the treatment of substance abuse, but it can also be applied to other areas such as health behaviour change, mental health, and criminal justice.

Fundamental concepts and approaches of MI:

The fundamental concepts and approaches of MI include the following:

  • Empathy: MI requires a non-judgmental and compassionate approach to the client’s situation, which involves active listening, reflecting, and understanding the client’s perspective.
  • Collaboration: MI emphasizes a collaborative partnership between the therapist and the client, in which the client is viewed as the expert on their life and experiences.
  • Evocation: MI involves eliciting the client’s own motivations and reasons for change rather than imposing change from the outside.
  • Resistance: MI acknowledges that clients may have ambivalence or resistance to change, and therapists should address this with empathy and respect rather than confrontation or persuasion.

The general approaches of MI include the following:

  • Asking open-ended questions that elicit the client’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the issue.
  • Reflecting back the client’s statements to demonstrate understanding and encourage elaboration.
  • Summarizing the client’s statements to identify patterns and themes.
  • Affirming the client’s strengths, efforts, and values to increase their self-efficacy and confidence.
  • Providing information or advice in a non-judgmental and respectful manner enhances the client’s knowledge and understanding.

Adaptations of MI:

MI has been adapted to various settings and populations, including adolescents, older adults, people with co-occurring disorders, and culturally diverse populations. These adaptations may involve modifications in language, content, and delivery style to enhance relevance, acceptability, and effectiveness.

References:

  1. Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change. Guilford press.
  2. Moyers, T. B., Martin, T., Christopher, P. J., Houck, J. M., Tonigan, J. S., & Amrhein, P. C. (2007). Client language as a mediator of motivational interviewing efficacy: Where is the evidence?. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(10_suppl), 40s-47s. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00440.x