@ The Dimension Of Mind Dot Com
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a counseling approach designed to help people find their own motivation to change, especially when they’re stuck, ambivalent, or resistant. It’s less about telling someone what to do and more about drawing out their reasons for wanting to shift—like quitting drugs or sticking with rehab. Developed in the 1980s by psychologists William Miller and Stephen Rollnick, it’s widely used in addiction and chemical dependency treatment because it meets people where they are, without judgment.
The core of MI is a collaborative, conversational style. The therapist asks open-ended questions, listens actively, and reflects back what the person says to help them clarify their goals and values. For example, instead of saying, “You need to stop drinking,” they might ask, “What do you think your life could look like without alcohol?” It’s built on four principles: expressing empathy (understanding their perspective), developing discrepancy (highlighting the gap between where they are and where they want to be), rolling with resistance (not fighting their doubts), and supporting self-efficacy (boosting their belief they can change).
In practice, it’s subtle but powerful. Say someone’s waffling about sobriety: “Part of me wants to quit, but it’s too hard.” The therapist might reflect, “So you’re torn—you see value in quitting, but the struggle feels overwhelming. What’s one thing that makes quitting worth it to you?” This nudges them to articulate their own “why”—maybe it’s their kids or their health—without feeling preached at. Research, like studies from the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, shows MI boosts engagement and retention in rehab, often outperforming confrontational methods.
It’s not a fix-all. It’s short-term and works best when someone’s at least a little open to change. But in addiction settings, where denial or defensiveness can run high, MI’s gentle, person-centered vibe helps crack the door open. It’s less about forcing a breakthrough and more about planting seeds for someone to water themselves.