Motivational interviewing is a counseling approach designed to help people find the motivation to make a positive behavior change.
This client-centered approach is particularly effective for people who have mixed feelings about changing their behavior.
The motivational interviewing approach holds that resolving this ambivalence can increase a person’s motivation to change.
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The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing should always be implemented with a particular “spirit.”
According to Miller and Rollnick, the “spirit” is collaborative, evocative, and honors client autonomy.
In order for motivational interviewing to be effective, the therapist must maintain this overall “spirit.”
Collaboration Instead of Confrontation
Collaboration is a partnership formed between the counselor and the client.
In motivational interviewing, this relationship is based on the point of view and experiences of the client.
Collaborationbuilds rapportbetween the therapist and the client.
As such, it cannot come from the counselor.
The counselor cannot demand this change.
Put another way, it is up to the client to take the actions necessary to change their behavior.
They must put in the work.
This is self-empowering to the individual, but also gives them personal responsibility over their actions.
These principles are vital to establishing trust within the therapeutic relationship.
Some may even feel guilty about their negative behavior, making that judgment valid in their eyes.
But judgment is not what motivational interviewing is about.
Instead of judging, counselors focus on understanding the situation from their client’s point of view.
This is known asempathy.
A counselor doesn’t have to agree with their client to show empathy.
Empathy is about surrendering your own opinions to understand someone else.
This practice creates a safe space where clients feel comfortable being themselves and sharing their concerns.
It is a counselor’s job to help clientsidentify their core valuesand clarify their personal goals.
Goals and actions are developed in a trusting, collaborative atmosphere free from pressure.
Roll With Resistance
Motivational interviewing understands that change doesn’t always happen just because you want it.
One way they do this is byreframingor offering different interpretations of certain situations.
This changing viewpoint increases the person’s motivation to change.
It is based on their own goals and values.
Soon, the client starts to recognize their strengths and ability to change their behavior for the better.
Techniques
In motivational interviewing, counselors help people explore their feelings and find their own motivations.
They do this using four basic techniques.
These types of questions encourage you to think more deeply about an issue.
Done right, affirmations can help build a person’s confidence in their ability to change.
Reflection lets a client know that their therapist is listening and trying to understand their point of view.
It also gives the client the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings and to elaborate on their feelings.
Reflection is a foundational skill of motivational interviewing and how therapists express empathy.
Summaries
Summaries are a special pop in of reflection.
They show that the therapist has been listening and understand what the client has been saying.
Therapists can use summaries throughout a conversation.
Research also reveals that motivational interviewing can aid inaddiction treatment.
Motivational interviewing can effectively treat a variety of conditions.
Motivational interviewing works best for people who havemixed feelingsabout changing their behavior.
Find out which option is the best for you.
Miller WR, Rollnick S.Motivational interviewing: Helping people change.
Guilford Press; 2013.
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doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204890
Rollnick S, Miller WR.What is motivational interviewing?Behav Cogn Psychother.
1995;23(4):325-334. doi:10.1017/S135246580001643X
