Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing is a counseling style that helps people clarify and resolve mixed feelings about changing a habit or behavior, so that they can successfully make a desired change.  This counseling approach is based on the view that people have a powerful, internal ability to adapt and make behavior changes.

The role of the counselor, therefore, is to guide the client through self- exploration and increase awareness of current behaviors, including the consequences and the impact of these behaviors on personal goals.  In addition, the counselor facilitates discussion of steps needed for successful goal achievement. 

Some of the main strategies used to enhance motivation include: 

• reflective listening, 
• affirming and acknowledging the person's viewpoints and struggles, 
• developing discrepancy between current behavior and personal goals, 
• summarizing what the person is saying and 
• eliciting "change talk" that indicates the person is considering and hopeful about the possibility of making change.

Motivational interviewing is incorporated into several of the research projects within our Centers. Examples of such studies include: Project CARES, PAQs, Project Ascend, CPSS, Oasis.  

In addition to providing introductory training workshops to develop basic skills for project staff who offer motivational counseling,  the Centers offer ongoing training and supervision for study counselors through monitoring and feedback on audio tapes of counseling sessions, case presentations, and ongoing role play exercises to continue skills building.  Measures to monitor interventions for quality assurance and treatment fidelity are being tested.

Find out more:

Faculty with an interest in Motivational Interviewing:

• Beth Bock, PhD
• Belinda Borrelli, PhD
• Judy DePue, EdD, MPH
• Elizabeth Lloyd Richardson, PhD
• Kate Morrow, PhD
• Bernadine Pinto, PhD

To find out more information regarding Motivational Interviewing, contact Jacki Hecht, RN, MSN