Motivational Interviewing

Asking questions that create lasting change.

What is Motivational Interviewing? 

Motivational interviewing is a client-centred approach to therapy that focuses on motivating people to change unhealthy behaviours. This is the ideal approach for people who find it hard to make healthier, positive choices. As the name suggests, motivational interviewing can help you find the right motivation to make important decisions.

Spirit of Motivational Interviewing

Psychologists, William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick highlight certain principles that form the essence or ‘spirit’ of motivational interviewing, making it different from traditional therapy.

Collaboration vs confrontation

Motivational interviewing uses a collaborative approach which involves mutual cooperation between the counsellor and client. The counsellor will prioritize your point of view, making you feel validated and acknowledged. 

This is the opposite of a confrontational approach where the counsellor seems to impose their own judgment on the client. This can make the client feel unheard and cornered. 

Evocation vs education 

Motivational interviewing relies on an evocative approach. This assumes that you have the ability to make positive changes for which the right motivation has to be brought out. Your counsellor can do this by asking about the reasons you want to change, helping you to discover the motivation from within. 

But in an educational approach, the counsellor assumes that you don’t have the right knowledge and skills to make changes. They tell you what you should do, and this can make the interaction feel unequal.

Autonomy vs authority

Giving the client autonomy means believing that any power for change rests with the client. In motivational interviewing, the counsellor’s job is simply to help bring out your motivations, but they can’t control anything beyond that. 

But an authoritative approach puts the counsellor in a superior position as they instruct you to make changes. This can come across as forceful and put the client in a position where they feel pressured.

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Conditions Motivational Interviewing Can Help With

Motivational interviewing can be used as a method of counselling for various conditions. These include:

Techniques Used in Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing uses several techniques that have proven to make it an effective counselling approach.

Asking open-ended questions

Open-ended questions go beyond a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and explore the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ behind things. By asking open-ended questions, a counsellor can gain a deeper understanding of what you tell them.

Giving affirmations

The counsellor will acknowledge your efforts to change and validate your strengths. This can boost your confidence and motivation to change.

Using reflections

Here, the counsellor repeats and rephrases whatever you’ve told them. This is a way for them to show you that they have carefully heard and understood everything you said. This approach helps clients feel heard and clarify any misunderstandings.

Summarizing

Your counsellor will summarize their understanding of the whole discussion, highlight key points, and make connections between different points in the discussion. This can also help you to understand and reflect on the conversation.

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Reach Out To Us

Located at 206 Ontario Street Stratford, we are local to Tavistock, New Hamburg, and the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Our clinicians also offer remote therapy across Ontario so that you can access the support you need - no matter where you are!

To get started you can fill out a contact form, call (226) 215-4244, or book an appointment online with one of our counsellors by clicking below.

We’re looking forward to supporting you!