The Motivational Interviewing Treatment

Motivational interviewing is a psychological treatment usually used for people struggling with addiction. It is a client centered approach designed to help people find the motivation to change their lives. Rather than direct persuasion, motivational interviewing uses questions designed to help a client sort out her ambivalence about change. Motivational interviewing is often used with another type of psychological treatment, such as counseling.

Stages of Change

• A person goes through six stages when trying to change negative behavior, such as alcoholism. At pre-contemplation, the first stage, a person has no intention of changing. At the contemplation stage, a person starts to think about the possibility and difficulty of change. Then a person moves on to the determination stage, when the person makes the decision to change. Next comes the action stage, as the person begins the process of change. Once the change has occurred, the person moves to the maintenance stage, in which she continues the new behavior. The final stage sometimes occurs as a relapse, when a person moves back to his old and unhealthy behavior. After that the cycle can begin again.

Features of Motivational Interviewing

• Therapists conducting motivational interviews do not try to guide clients through steps or persuade them to change behavior. Rather, the therapist uses questions to help a client determine where she is in the various steps towards change and to move forward to the next step. This is done by helping the client find her own motivation for change. It is very important that a therapist empathize with the client and listen to her story, rather than trying to argue or push for change.

How Motivational Interviewing Works

• A motivational interviewer helps a client realize discrepancies between where he is and where he wants to be. For example, an interviewer may ask a client what happens when he drinks too much, and then help him determine what alternatives he would like to see happen. A therapist also works with the client to develop a sense of empowerment and self-efficacy by showing the client that he is able to change his behavior and helping him find motivation from within rather than from the therapist's pressure.

Who Benefits from Motivational Interviewing

• Motivational interviewing can be used to change any risky behavior. It was first developed to treat alcoholism; it has since been used to help people with other addictions. It can also aid those with unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as overeating and smoking. It has been used to help people with diseases like diabetes change their behavior to become healthier.

Effectiveness

• Motivational interviewing is most effective when it is used at the start of treatment, and is often used with other treatments such as counseling or a 12-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous. A study in the American Journal on Addictions showed that drug users who underwent a motivational interview were more likely to continue their treatment. Another study, from Substance Use and Misuse, done on heroin users, backs up this result, showing better treatment retention rates on clients who were treated with a motivational interview.