What is Motivational Interviewing?
Written by: Sean McGowan, PsyD, ABPP
Motivational Interviewing is a therapeutic approach used with people who feel stuck in making behavioral changes in their lives. Some examples of behavioral changes include: quitting smoking or drinking alcohol, exercising more often, sticking to a diet, taking medications as prescribed, completing tasks and assignments on time, or using coping skills when needed (to name a few). Motivational Interviewing works best with people who feel ambivalent about making changes. Ambivalence is a normal psychological state where you feel two, opposing emotions at the same time. For example, ambivalence can be simultaneously feeling like you want and do not want to make a change. Although ambivalence is a common and normal state of mind, it can be frustrating to experience this over long periods of time. Motivational Interviewing is a psychotherapeutic approach that helps a person resolve this state of ambivalence.
Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered approach where the clinician maintains an empathic, nonjudgmental, compassionate, and collaborative stance with the client. A clinician using Motivational Interviewing will not try to impose their beliefs, values, or agendas on the client. Rather, the clinician will attempt to understand the person’s reasons, needs, and capabilities to make the desired change, and help them articulate and elaborate on this in the session. Motivational Interviewing tries to pull forth the client’s drive and confidence in making the changes, as helping the ambivalent individual realize and discuss this usually leads to the desired changes.
I use Motivational Interviewing strategies and techniques throughout my psychotherapeutic work with my clients. It has been empirically shown to be helpful with numerous psychological and emotional problems (Lundahl et al., 2013). Since 2015, I have trained clinicians from a wide variety of disciplines (e.g., psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatrists, nurses, and speech-language pathologists) this effective and efficacious treatment.
In teaching this therapy, I work to explain, describe, and demonstrate the spirit and techniques of the approach through a wide variety of role-plays, experiential exercises, and close review and discussion of transcripts or recordings of actual sessions. I consult with medical and mental health providers and students in either individual or small group formats. If you are interested in learning more about Motivational Interviewing or Motivational Enhancement Therapy so that you can use this approach in your everyday practice, please feel free to contact me at 919-241-7972. I look forward to hearing from you.
References
Lundahl, B., Moleni, T., Burke, B.L., Butters, R., Tollefson, D., Butler, C., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing in medical care settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Patient Educ Couns. 93(2), 157-68.