The Principles Of Motivational Interviewing

Psychologists William Miller, PhD. and Stephen Rollnick, PhD. developed the counseling approach known as Motivational Interviewing (MI). Motivational Interviewing evolved out of experience in the treatment of persons who were problem drinkers, and was first described by Miller in 1983. In 1991 Miller and Rollnick provided these techniques as a method that promotes and engages intrinsic motivation within the client in order to change behavior. MI is a client-centered counseling style that is goal -directed and brings about behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. Traditional Rogerian client-centered therapy does not guide or direct or focus in the way that MI therapists do to influence individuals to consider making changes, instead of non-directively explore themselves.

Empathy is a two way process, its about trying to fully understand what your client is saying and feeling and also showing your understanding to your client.

Afterwards, the essential concepts and methods were later particularized by Miller and Stephen Rollnick, Ph.D., in 1991. This involved a more comprehensive description of the clinical procedures of motivational interviewing. Motivational Interviewing is a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence (Miller & Rollnick, 1991). Motivational Interviewing is goal directed and more focused when compared with nondirective therapies. The central purpose is to examine and resolve ambivalence, with an intentionally directive therapist to carry out this goal (Miller & Rollnick, 1991).

An interview utilizing motivational interviewing techniques was conducted by a nurse practitioner student and a consenting patient. The patient is a 55-year-old, male, with occupation as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioner technician that the nurse practitioner student identified on physical examination to have mild hearing loss. Hearing protection is admittedly not worn consistently at the jobsite during the history taking portion of the exam. This paper will discuss the behavioral health problem of noncompliance with hearing protection, the evidence supporting motivational interviewing strategies to support behavior change, and a discussion of the techniques used during the interview.

Motivational interviewing recognizes and accepts the fact that clients who need to make changes in their lives approach counseling at different levels of readiness to change their behavior. During counseling, some patient may have thought about it but not taken steps to change it while some especially those voluntarily seeking counseling, may be actively trying to change their behavior and may have been doing so unsuccessfully for years. In order

Interventions are widely used in all areas of Human Services to assist those in need meet their goals of self sufficiency. Some common interventions include reframing, the process of helping someone see a situation in another perspective, and Task-Centered Approach, the process of breaking down the problem into smaller and more manageable goals, that eventually lead to solving the original problem. Determining which intervention to use widely depends upon multiple variables such as; the problem the client is currently facing, their current emotional status, whether they have a support network or not, and their current use of coping skills. If some of the above variables are missing, it has been common practice to address these issues prior to using interventions to address the problem.

-motivational interviewing(MI) is patient centered counseling style for addressing the common problem of ambivalence about change.

Motivational interviewing is a counseling approach that was studied and understood as an applicable theory of practice that would be beneficial in the environment where I currently work which is an alcohol treatment facility. Whereas, it is understood that clinical and applied aspects of Motivational Interviewing (MI) have shown effective as a relatively brief intervention (Levensky, Cavasos, & Brooks, 2008), especially those dealing with an alcohol dependency. According to Miller and Roderick, MI, has been defined mostly as a directive, client centered counseling approach for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. In addition, with its goal-orientated approach it can help break down resistance to change (Corey, 2013, pp. 191-194). This theoretical approach is the most favored for the environment in my profession of choice, in addition, integrating it with the practice of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which is already in use.

I have been a Transitional Life Coach at Almost Home for nearly three years. The program serves homeless teenage mothers between the ages of 12-19 and their children. While work at Almost Home I have had extensive training in motivation interview which is a method that works on facilitating and engaging intrinsic motivation within the client in order to change behavior. MI is a goal-oriented, client-centered counseling style for provoking behavior change by helping clients to discover and resolve

In conclusion, I learned that if a counselor is trained in MI and understands how to deliver the techniques with clients that it would be an effective technique with clients to motivate the stage of changes. For instance, “data from the current survey collected in a Native American community suggest that MI may be well suited as an intervention to prevent underage drinking and that a MI research program to reduce underage drinking would be generally well tolerated in this reservation community (Tonigan, Miller, & Villanueva, 2007).

Describe your perspective of what you actually did as counselors to demonstrate this theory: What techniques and skills did you use during the session?

Experimental Treatment: Participants selected to receive motivational interviewing will participant in 60 minute, twice a week sessions, for four weeks. The goal of motivational interviewing is to reduce ambivalence about change, and that is done through the use of active listening, empathy, and supporting self-efficacy and confidence. The emphasis is placed on the client and his or her decisions and needs.

This essay will discuss the four stages to motivational interviewing and it’s theories to motivating people for change. The content within this essay will also critically analyze how motivational interviewing is utilised in therapy as a tool to approach the issue of alcohol abuse/dependency and how this can contribute to a person’s recovery. As a clinician I will also reflect on why a female client who was affected by a mental disorder would become dependent on a substance such as alcohol, who describes her alcohol use as a coping strategy to minimize her auditory hallucinations even though this was a short intervention. For people who are affected by mental disorders, find coping with the stressors of illness and everyday life motivates the misuse of substances that have negative effects on their illness causing abuse and dependency, (Cleary, Hunt, Morley, Siegfried & Sitharthan 2014).

For starters, the instrument they chose to administer, the POI, has been shown to a higher degree of construct validity, that is, it is reasonably reliable and valid in measuring what it claims to measure, and also is unsusceptible to dissimulation. Additionally, they followed an empirically supported report (Damn, 1972) to determine the best method for using this instrument to derive an overall measure for self-actualization. Another strength of the study was the use of voluntary participants, to remove a potential barrier involving motivation to change, which was further discussed in a pre-treatment screening to ensure no severe malfunctioning. Random assignment to decide individual group status ensured group equivalency, which the researchers took a step farther by matching participants based on sex. Using techniques outlined by Perls himself ensured the experimental group received proper Gestalt therapy, which was further strengthened through the use of group leaders who were well-trained and well-educated practitioners. Finally, an evaluation pre-test, post-test and during a six-month follow up provided a good timeline for examining treatment

In order for the client to reach the stage of the accepting change in the process it is important that goals are established through developing a plan or contact. Goal setting allows the client to release feelings and emotions and identify what characteristics of themselves prevents change from occurring. Through goal setting the client is encouraged to look at making changes to their lifestyle with the assistance of the counsellor. Goal directed counselling sets targets, milestones and tools for measuring the same and can highlight strength