{"id":17906,"date":"2025-11-11T14:51:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T19:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/cfar\/2022\/07\/conversations-about-change-from-evoking-to-planning-readiness\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T16:54:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T21:54:02","slug":"conversations-about-change-from-evoking-to-planning-readiness-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/cfar\/2025\/11\/conversations-about-change-from-evoking-to-planning-readiness-2-2\/","title":{"rendered":"From Evoking to Planning: Readiness (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we have a sense that a client may be ready to transition from evoking to planning, what language do we want to hear that indicates this readiness? In most cases, it is language that describes their desire, ability, reasons, and need to change.\u00a0 The more that we hear this language, the more likely it is that the client is thinking about how this may actually happen. The clinician needs to hear just enough change talk to feel like the client is ready. It may feel like a judgment call but trusting your clinical intuition and hearing enough change talk will hopefully provide you with enough information to move forward.<\/p>\r\n

If we listen closely to our clients, they will tell us when they are ready to change a behavior. There can be very high change language and there can be low change language. It is important not to miss the low change language because this language is still very important to recognize since it will often change into high change language. Miller and Rollnick offer examples of how this change language may sound:<\/p>\r\n

High change language<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready to do it!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m willing to give it a try.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to do this, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do whatever it takes\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Low change language<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

\u201cI might do it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019ll think about it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019ll probably get around to it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI hope to.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI guess I could try.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

It can be much easier to reinforce and ask questions when the clinician hears high change language. With low change language, the clinician must be careful with the righting reflex and not try to challenge the client\u2019s responses. If a client feels challenged, they might go into sustain talk, or discord may be experienced in the therapeutic relationship.<\/p>\r\n

When a clinician hears either high change language or low change language, it is an opportunity to be curious about what steps the client would like to take next. Attempt to follow at the client\u2019s pace and try not to go ahead of where they are and what they are telling you. It is much easier to be patient than it is to take time to work through discord.<\/p>\r\n

Change talk is a good indicator of readiness and the language the client gives you will determine how best to respond. As we continue in this blog series, we will look at different signs of readiness the client may display to help you decide if the client is ready to move from evoking to planning. I hope everyone is doing as well as possible and you have opportunities to use and practice motivational interviewing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/figure>\r\n
<\/figure>\r\n

\r\n

For more information about Motivational Interviewing resources, contact Eunice Akinyi Okumu, by phone (919) 843-2532, or by email, eunice_okumu@med.unc.edu<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When we have a sense that a client may be ready to transition from evoking to planning, what language do we want to hear that indicates this readiness? In most cases, it is language that describes their desire, ability, reasons, and need to change.\u00a0 The more that we hear this language, the more likely it … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103351,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[360,329,310],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conversations-about-change-planning-to-evoking","category-mi-process-evoking","category-motivational-interviewing-blog","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFrom Evoking to Planning: Readiness (Part 2) - UNC Center for AIDS Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/cfar\/2025\/11\/conversations-about-change-from-evoking-to-planning-readiness-2-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Evoking to Planning: Readiness (Part 2) - UNC Center for AIDS Research\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When we have a sense that a client may be ready to transition from evoking to planning, what language do we want to hear that indicates this readiness? 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