Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is considered to be an evidenced-based approach to behavior change. Most importantly, MI is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with an emphasis to the language of change. A core component is to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring a person’s own reasons for change within an environment of nonjudgement and compassion.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) skills have been demonstrated to assist a wide range of individuals, yet MI is particularly useful to assist individuals in examining their situation and options when any of the following are present:
- Ambivalence is high and people are stuck in mixed feelings about change
- Confidence is low and people doubt their abilities to change
- Desire is low and people are uncertain about whether they want to make a change
- Importance is low and the benefits of change and disadvantages of the current situation are unclear.
The core aspects of MI are grounded in a spirit or rather a way of being with people. This way of being with people is predicated on many beliefs such as the therapeutic space being a collaborative partnership, one where the practitioner is an expert in helping people change; people are the experts of their own lives. Additionally, people have within themselves the resources and capacity needed to evoke change in their lives. No matter the topic, the space we occupy is one of nonjudgement with a focus on seeking to understand a person’s perspective and experiences with the intent to promote and prioritize your wellbeing in a selfless manner.