Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing involves asking the patient open-ended questions, such as, “What would the future look like for you, if you managed to make the changes that you are looking for?” and “How would you like things to be different?”, to affirm them when they take a positive step towards the change they seek, to listen to them reflectively and thoughtfully, and to provide them with summaries of what they have achieved so far. The patient is encouraged to reflectively examine their own lives, looking at how they have done things in the past, why and how they want to change certain aspects of their behaviour, and what they would like their life to look like in the future. Over time, the patient becomes progressively more confident about their ability to create change in their life and better able to understand the nature and consequences of their behaviour now, and of the behaviour that they hope to attain.

While Motivational Interviewing is not a heavily structured approach to therapy, four distinct processes can be identified. These are as follows:

• Engaging. During this process, the patient is enabled to talk about the issues that have brought them to therapy, while the therapist listens reflectively. The two parties agree on the goals of therapy, and work together to meet them.
• Focusing by constantly working to keep on task and to continue seeking answers and solutions.
• Evoking by supporting the patient’s desires to change, and encouraging them to have a sense of hope, and to trust in their own abilities.
• Planning by helping the patient to develop a plan that will enable them to continue making positive change as they move forward with their life.

Every patient attains change at their own pace, often by engaging with a combination of Motivational Interviewing and another supportive modality, such as a support group or group therapy.Therapists who use motivational interviewing do not expect patients to achieve change according to a schedule. Change can occur slowly, or sometimes in relatively big increments. Sometimes it can take a long time for a patient to achieve an initial, rather modest, goal, only for them to make significant progress later on in their treatment.

Miller, W. R. and Rollnick, S. (2002). Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People to Change, 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press.

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2012). Motivational Interviewing, Helping People Change, 3rd ed. New York: Guilford Press

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/motivational-interviewing

Who can I speak to further about Motivational Interviewing?

If you would like to talk to someone about Motivational Interviewing, please get in touch with us at the Private Therapy Clinic by telephone at: +442038872866 or by email at: info@privatetherapyclinic.com.