The planning process can be a dynamic process as the client moves from motivation to action. There is a great deal of information and research about the evoking process but not as much related to planning. We do know that we, as clinicians, must be careful and not give advice or suggestions to the client about what may work best. It is allowing the client both to own and implement the plan that will make the desired outcome more likely to occur.
If the clinician becomes more invested in the planning process than the client, this will often lead to the client being reluctant to move forward. Try to stay present to how the client is navigating this process and don’t get ahead of your client’s readiness to create a concrete change plan. The planning process often takes some time as the client attempts to clarify the goal and take the needed steps to implement the plan.
There is a great deal of territory to cover before getting to the planning process. Oftentimes, in the focusing process, a goal is discussed that can be the primary topic of conversation. Below are the processes from Miller and Rollnick that a clinician and client will typically travel together before talking about the specifics of “how” and “when” the plan will be put into action:
Engaging is about “Shall we travel together?”
Focusing asks “Where to”
Evoking is about “Whether” and “Why” and
Planning is about “How” and “When”
These processes will often overlap, and the key is to make sure they all get some time to be ready to put a plan in place. The process can be very dynamic, and it will be important to be checking in with your client often to see if any adjustments need to be made. A goal that is specific can also make it easier to follow the progress being made.
Again, allow the client to make the decisions about their change plan. The more ownership they take will more likely lead to their desired outcomes. We will continue looking at the creation of change plans in the next few blogs. I hope everyone is doing as well as possible and you have opportunities to use and practice motivational interviewing.
For more information about Motivational Interviewing resources, contact Eunice Akinyi Okumu, by phone (919) 843-2532, or by email, eunice_okumu@med.unc.edu