The Power of Motivational Interviewing

I recently had cause to tap into long-ago training (and refresh my skills) in Motivational Interviewing (MI). The parent of a young therapy client wanted to prioritize a behavioral goal that they felt could make a big difference in the child’s overall well-being and homelife, but the child didn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. “No way!” was the child’s first reaction to the idea of gradually decreasing an accommodation that had grown out of control. I decided to take an MI approach with the young client.

Motivational Interviewing was developed by Drs. William Miller and Stephen Rollnick in the 80’s, and they published their first book in 1991. Since then, a great deal of compelling research has been published on its effectiveness as a treatment approach. The goal of MI is to help the client resolve their mixed feelings (“ambivalence”) about making a change, and gradually guide them as they discover their own readiness for change. An internal, personal commitment to the hard work of change is essential for meaningful change to last – being told by someone else to change rarely works.

After just one session guided by the principles of MI, the young client was ready to set a small goal and track progress toward it. The promise of a reward from Mom and Dad sweetened the deal. Because the client discovered their own readiness for change, I know they will be more likely to follow through. We are at the start of a slow process and the client will continue to receive MI-inspired support, but they have taken the first important step: moving from “No way!” to “Maybe I could try.” I was so proud of them!

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