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Disadvantages Of Motivational Interviewing

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Motivational Interviewing (MI) refers to a client centred counselling approach, which is directed to enhance motivation in an individual for behaviour change Miller & Rollnick (as cited in Christopher & Dougher, 2009). MI as a method understands and accepts that the clients are at different levels of readiness to change their behavior. It consistently focuses on goals to prepare the client for transformation by providing motivation for commitment to change (Bricker & Tollison, 2011) in the domains of substance abuse, addiction and risky health problems. It proceeds to make the client aware of the causes, consequences and risks that could be a result of the behavior. Through this, the client foresees the possibilities of enhancement and becomes motivated to achieve it (Jenson, Cushing, Aylward, Craig, Sorell & Steel, 2011). MI is coherent with the …show more content…

Radically William R. Miller described MI initially and further developed it with Stephen Rollnick in 1983 to help change in Alcohol drinkers (Wormer, 2007). Since, MI is consistent with the Humanistic approach it combines Client centred therapy with cognitive behavioural therapy to provoke change (Jenson et al. 2011). This focuses on the same principles as Rogerian’s therapy resembling Empathy, Unconditional positive regard and Genuineness to foster therapeutic gain and reduce ambivalence (Burke, L. 2009). MI is also based on research of smoking cessation by Prochaska & Diclemente, 1982 evolving with the transtheoretical model, revealing thinking patterns of smokers who were able to quit. This model followed the stages of pre-contemplation (not thinking of change), contemplation (thinking of change), preparation (making plans on how to change), action (working on change) and maintenance of change (Wormer, 2007). MI also builds on the cognitive dissonance theory by Festinger, 1957 and self-perception theory for changes in attitude by Bem, 1967 (Lundahl & Burke,

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