Motivational Interviewing Techniques

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

• Empathetic, person-centered counseling approach
• Prepares individuals for change
• Helps resolve ambivalence, enhances intrinsic motivation, and builds confidence to change

OARS - Core Techniques

• Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening, and Summary Reflections

Open Questions

• Encourage individuals to share their stories in their own words
• Avoid leading questions
• In contrast to closed questions, which elicit limited responses

Open Question Examples

• How can I help you with __?
• Help me understand __?
• How would you like things to be different?
• What are the good things about ___ and what are the less good things about it?
• When would you be most likely to ___?
• What do you think you will lose if you give up ___?
• What have you tried before to make a change?
• What do you want to do next?

Affirmations

• Recognize client strengths and acknowledge behaviors leading towards positive change
• Build confidence in one's ability to change
• Must be genuine and congruent

Affirmation Examples

• I appreciate that you are willing to meet with me today.
• You are clearly a very resourceful person.
• You handled yourself really well in that situation.
• That’s a good suggestion.
• If I were in your shoes, I don’t know if I could have managed nearly so well.
• I’ve enjoyed talking with you today.

Reflective Listening

• Primary skill in outreach
• Engages others, builds trust, and fosters motivation for change
• It takes hard work and skill to do well effectively

Reflective Listening Breakdowns

• Speaker does not say what is meant
• Listener does not hear correctly
• Listener gives a different interpretation to what the words mean

Reflective Listening Techniques

• Close the loop in communication to prevent breakdowns
• Listener's voice turns down at the end of a reflective statement
• Leads to clarification and exploration

Reflective Listening Levels

• Repeating or rephrasing: Listener repeats or substitutes synonyms or phrases, staying close to the speaker's statement
• Paraphrasing: Listener rephrases, inferring the speaker's meaning
• Reflection of feeling: Listener emphasizes emotions through feeling statements, the deepest form of listening

Summaries

• Special applications of reflective listening
• Used throughout conversations, especially at transition points
• Ensure clear communication and provide a stepping stone towards change

Summary Structure

• Start with a statement indicating you are summarizing
• Pay attention to "Change Statements," indicating willingness to change
  • Problem recognition
  • Concern
  • Intent to change
  • Optimism
• Include both sides if the individual expresses ambivalence
• Include objective information from other sources
• Be concise
• End with an invitation, encouraging the participant to add or correct anything missed
• May lead to planning or taking concrete steps towards the change goal

Explore the core strategies of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a person-centered counseling approach designed to prepare individuals for change. This quiz covers essential techniques such as Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening, and Summary Reflections, which can enhance intrinsic motivation and resolve ambivalence in clients.