Oct 2, 20191 min read

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a brief person-centered clinical method for strengthening clients’ motivation for and commitment to change. First described by Miller (1983), it was originally designed for working with people with substance use disorders, but has since been more widely applied in health care, corrections, mental health and social work. It is particularly indicated for clients who are reluctant, ambivalent or defensive about change. Strongly rooted in the work of Carl Rogers, MI is nevertheless strategically goal-directed to facilitate an identified change. The overall spirit or style of MI is collaborative and empathetic, and the course of MI is normally 1-4 sessions. Rather than working from a deficit model in which the therapist provides what the client is missing (e.g., skills, insight, knowledge), MI seeks to evoke the client’s own motivations, strengths and resources. Drawing on the psycho-linguistics of change, particular attention is paid in MI to specific aspects of client speech that predict subsequent change. The therapist elicits and explores the client’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance to minimize resistance and defensiveness. (https://www.div12.org/treatment/motivational-interviewing-motivational-enhancement-therapy-met-plus-cbt-for-mixed-substance-abuse-dependence/).