ABSTRACT
Understand the key components of the spirit of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and how it differs from more directive communication approaches. MI is a strengths-based approach that holds that clients have within themselves the capabilities to make lifestyle changes successfully. MI was birthed in the addictions field and is a therapeutic approach that pays specific attention to the language of change. MI first garnered attention as an effective technique for use in alcohol use disorder in the early 1980s. Since then, research has continued to suggest that it is an effective intervention for individuals with alcohol use disorder. The effects of MI extend to many other health behavior changes. In the current iteration of MI, there are four processes of MI to which clinicians need to be mindful: Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning. The use of a metaphor may be helpful in understanding the four processes of MI.
