Key Concepts for Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a person-centered behavioral methodology in which a professional guides a person in crisis towards readiness to take steps to change problematic behavior. Professionals apply motivational interviewing to an array of circumstances, including chemical dependency. According to the website, Adult Meducation, the collaborative motivational interviewing principles guide clients to explore and resolve resistance. Key motivational interviewing concepts comprise the acronym "READS." The concepts include Roll with resistance, Express empathy, Avoid argumentation, Develop dependency and Support self-efficacy.

Roll with Resistance

• Rolling with resistance forms the first key concept of motivational interviewing. When patients display signs of resistance, such as blaming or minimizing, the motivational interviewer lets the resistance flow rather than use oppositional tactics, such as telling the person he is wrong. According to Adult Meducation, resistance is normal, and confrontation creates additional barriers to resolution for the patient. As a patient displays resistance, the therapist begins to explore possible remedies to the patient's problems.

Express Empathy

• By applying the second motivational interviewing concept, expressing empathy, health care professionals model informed understanding of a person's problems. According to an article in the "Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine," professionals engage in active listening and reflection. A therapist responds with clear statements which display that the therapist hears what the patient is saying. For example, a therapist engages in reflection by saying to a patient, "I hear what you are saying. You feel as if your family does not take your choices seriously, and that makes you feel dismissed by the most important people in your life."

Avoid Argumentation

• When a person in crisis displays resistance, motivational interviewing professionals do not argue with the person. According to the third principle of motivational interviewing, a patient tends to respond positively when her therapist does not attack her ideas and feelings. Arguments lead to further resistance and hamper patient progress. Instead, a therapist should guide a patient to recognize her problem rather than be told what her problem is.

Develop Dependency

• The motivational interviewing principle, developing dependency, addresses a patient's issues regarding goals and consequences. A therapist asks a patient to list her goals, which allows the therapist to gauge how realistic the goals are. With time, the therapist helps a patient create appropriate and realizable goals, according to the "Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine article."

Support Self-efficacy

• The fifth key concept for motivational interviewing, self-efficacy, promotes a person's self-confidence and ability to surmount current problems and to create successful change. According to Adult Meducation, a therapist leads a patient to self-efficacy in small steps. Each step shows the patient that she is taking command of her life balance. When a patient expresses desire for change, her therapist responds with supportive statements, such as, "I am happy to hear your idea for regulating your weight by eating foods high in fiber."