Category: MI Components and Questions

There have been many definitions offered of Motivational Interviewing. Most of them are very similar, and generally, have the same basic components. The definition I prefer to use is one offered by the founders, Bill Miller and Stephen Rollnick: Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered counseling style for addressing the common...

The definition below gives us an all-encompassing overview of Motivational Interviewing. And at the same time, it can be overwhelming to implement without fully understanding all of the components. Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered counseling style for addressing the common problem of ambivalence about change. It is designed to strengthen...

Even though there may be numerous reasons for the client to make a change, there will almost always be reasons for the client to continue making similar choices related to a particular behavior. Ambivalence, or having conflicting motivations at the same time, is a normal process when one is considering...

The definition below highlights the importance of not only the techniques and processes of MI but also the atmosphere for a supportive and productive session. Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered counseling style for addressing the common problem of ambivalence about change. It is designed to strengthen an individual’s motivation for...

As clinicians, we are usually thinking about how to have the most effective conversations with our clients. And even with putting our best effort and best intentions forward, sometimes these conversations can be messy. One thing we know about MI is that there is not one formula that works for...

As a helping professional or clinician, there are times when we witness our clients making choices that we believe are not in their best interests and will not support them in reaching their desired goals. And in many cases, it can be extremely challenging to allow these behaviors to continue...

When Motivational Interviewing was first introduced, there was a great deal of focus on specific techniques that would support the client in exploring behavior change. However, Rollnick and Miller (1995) felt like something was missing as they went around and trained people. They felt like they had taught people the...

In this MI blog, we have focused on many important aspects of MI including techniques, processes, spirit, and ambivalence. What we haven’t talked about much is “What MI is NOT” and clarifying some things related to MI that may be confusing. For example, when working with a client, the clinician...

When we think about the way we want to be with a client, I think we would all agree that we would like to acknowledge and recognize their inherent worth and strengths. And each client we work with will have specific strengths that we will be able to genuinely acknowledge....

The definition below provides an excellent overview of the philosophy of MI, and the atmosphere that best supports an individual contemplating a change in their lives: Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered counseling style for addressing the common problem of ambivalence about change. It is designed to strengthen an individual’s motivation...

Summaries are similar to reflections, however, instead of focusing on one thing at a time the client has shared, the clinician pulls together several things, and reflects back to the client. This offering back to the client can be affirming because it demonstrates that the clinician has been listening to...

When we think about values and goals, particularly related to a therapeutic setting, we are often attempting to gain some insight or understanding into the client’s internal perspectives. These perspectives can often be the motivation for making decisions in their lives. And these decisions could be short term or long...