Training, Supervision, Coaching, and Therapy in Evidenced Based Practices.
Motivational Interviewing is a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
MI was originally developed in 1983 by Bill Miller as an effective treatment approach for addictions. Today, MI is integrated successfully in a broad range of populations and settings including:
Criminal justice- Behavioral Health Care
- Co-Occurring Disorders
- Dietary and exercise regimens
- Mental Illness
- Educational Settings
- Addictions
- Adolescents and young adults
- Couples and family's
- Groups
- Organizational change
Defining the Practice
Motivational interviewing is a model for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. Compared with nondirective counselling, it is more focused and goal-directed. The helper is listening for and directing their listening skills towards the client's reasons for change, their "Change Talk", and honoring the client's ideas for developing an action plan.
Spirit of the Art
Motivation to change is elicited from the client, and not imposed from without. It is the client's task to be making the argument for change. Direct persuasion is not an effective method for resolving ambivalence. Resistance to change is not a character trait. Resistance is part of the interpersonal phenomenon which occurs between the client and the helper. How the helper responds to a client has a direct impact on whether the resistance goes up or down.