Motivational Interviewing (MI), what is it:

Motivational Interviewing (MI):

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a client-centered, directive counseling style used to help people explore and resolve ambivalence about behavior change. It was originally developed by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick, primarily in the context of addiction treatment, but it’s now widely used in various healthcare, mental health, and social work settings.

Core Principles of Motivational Interviewing

Express Empathy

• Use reflective listening to convey understanding of the client’s experience.

• Avoid judgment or confrontation.

  
  

Develop Discrepancy

• Help clients recognize the gap between their current behavior and their personal goals or values.

• This creates motivation for change without pressure.

  
  

Roll with Resistance

• Avoid arguing or opposing resistance.

• Resistance is seen as a signal to change strategies, not confront the client.

  
  

Support Self-Efficacy

• Emphasize the client’s ability and power to make changes.

• Highlight past successes and strengths.

  
  

Key Techniques (OARS)

Technique Description Open-ended Questions Encourage clients to explore their thoughts and feelings in depth. Affirmations Recognize client strengths and efforts. Reflective Listening Mirror back what the client says to show understanding and prompt deeper reflection. Summarizing Reinforce what has been discussed, especially change talk, to consolidate motivation.

 Stages of Change Model (Transtheoretical Model)

MI is often used to help people move through the stages:

Precontemplation — Not considering change.

Contemplation — Ambivalent about change.

Preparation — Planning to change soon.

Action — Taking active steps.

Maintenance — Sustaining the new behavior.

 Example in Practice (Addiction Context)

Therapist: “It sounds like a part of you really wants to cut back on drinking, but another part is worried about losing your social life. That’s a tough place to be.”

Client: “Yeah… I know it’s a problem, but I don’t know if I’m ready.”

Therapist: “You’ve been thinking about this a lot. What would be different in your life if you did make that change?”

Common Applications

• Substance use treatment

• Health behavior change (diet, exercise, medication adherence)

• Smoking cessation

• Criminal justice settings

• Mental health therapy

Shervan K Shahhian