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Motivational interviewing (MI) is one technique we use as part of individual therapy at Elevare Behavioral Health. MI was first developed in 1983 and is used in addiction counseling to help clients understand how their addiction is affecting their life and then create a plan to overcome their dependence issues.
What Is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational interviewing is often used in addiction treatment to ease clients’ apprehension about treatment. In fact, the willingness, or lack thereof, to enter treatment is one of the biggest barriers people with addictions face, even as their life falls apart because of substance use.
Motivational interviewing is based on the theory that everyone who struggles with addiction has some understanding that their substance use is hurting them and the people who care for them. This method further works on the basis that a person who is currently going through an addiction also wants to change their behavior and will respond positively to treatment overtures.
Therapists help clients overcome their uncertainty or apprehension toward recovery by having in-depth conversations that work on increasing the person’s own motivation to change. Many people who need treatment for their respective addiction disorders have reasons for why they might not want to break out of their self-destructive cycles.
- They may feel that they are in control of their substance use, that it is not as bad as others are saying it is, that other people have worse problems, or that substance use helps them to stay balanced.
- They may worry that they can’t afford treatment.
- They may be afraid of the guilt or shame of acknowledging an addiction.
Additionally, many people become psychologically dependent on the positive sensations they get from their drug use and are very reluctant to give them up. They may also be afraid of the withdrawal symptoms that come from breaking the physical dependence, so they continue to find some escape in their chemical substances.
How Does Motivational Interviewing Work?
Motivational interviewing has seven key approaches:
- The motivation has to come from the client, not from anyone else.
- Persuasion can’t resolve ambivalence.
- The therapist gets their information from the client through conversation.
- The therapist is responsible for guiding the client to recognize and resolve their ambivalence toward treatment.
- The readiness to change will fluctuate, and this is a natural part of the process.
- The client and the therapist work together as partners.
Motivational interviewing is a straightforward approach to treat substance use disorder. It can be completed in a relatively short amount of time. In general, it works in a very specific way.
First off, the therapist will engage the client and talk about their concerns as well as their goals. This is done to establish a relationship based on trust.
The two will then focus on the patterns and habits that have resulted in the addiction. From there, the therapist will discuss the motivation behind the client looking to get the help they need.
During this time, the therapist will hammer home that change can occur, as long as the client is willing to put in the work. Finally, both the therapist and client will put a plan together to make the necessary changes needed to begin recovery.
Person-Centered Therapy Techniques in MI
Motivational interviewing is centered around the person. They have to be willing to share their thoughts and apprehensions when it comes to treatment in order to effectively be able to discuss it and treat it. The therapist’s role is to give the client tools to work through their apprehension.
In motivational interviewing, it is not the therapist’s responsibility to provide solutions or to push the client in one direction or the other, but simply talk through their issues with them. This is done by the therapist asking open-ended questions.
Some examples of open-ended questions that a MI therapist can ask include:
- What do your family members say your problems are?
- What do you enjoy about using drugs or alcohol?
- In what ways does your drug or alcohol use make your life harder? To what degree does this concern you?
- Why did you decide to get help at this point in time?
- What do you think you have to do to get better?
The idea behind these kinds of open-ended questions is to get clients to see the problem for themselves and to put the pieces into place where they can begin to work through the problem.
The therapist’s role is to affirm their choices and offer guidance and advice as to how the work can be done. While not every client will respond positively to this method, it works for those who are ready and willing to make a change.
Are You Interested in Therapy for Addiction?
At Elevare Behavioral Health, our goal is to help you get the help that you need to live a sober life. We know that not everyone responds the same way to treatment, which is why we offer several different treatment options, including motivational interviewing. Contact us today for more information on motivational interviewing or to learn about our many treatment options.
Our admissions team is available 24/7 to listen to your story and help you get started with the next steps.
