I got a question recently about adapting Motivational Interviewing to other cultures, especially with Hispanic clients in a WIC clinic. The dietitian had noticed that some clients didn’t seem to understand the idea of setting a goal. She asked…

  We all have our ups and downs. Some days we wake up clear-headed and ready to take on the world. Our work flows easily, we feel confident, and we get positive feedback from those around us. And then there…

    Motivational Interviewing is powerful in enhancing motivation to change. This happens when the counselor listens for and brings out preparatory change talk (desire, ability, reasons, and need). When enough of these have been said, the client may naturally…

Is a motivational interview an appropriate process to use when talking with a person who is considering using your services and has not yet decided? To answer this question, let’s look carefully at motivational interviewing.

  Are you a nutrition counselor and using MI when it seems to fit? If so, your sessions may be more effective than before you learned about MI. They can be even more effective when you make the final shift…

  We take breathing for granted; it’s there all the time. Even when we’re not paying attention at all, it’s there supporting us. It is one of the few physiological functions that is both involuntary and voluntary — we can…

  I was asked recently what to do when we hear clients criticizing themselves. What is a motivational-interviewing-consistent way of addressing this phenomenon?

The familiar phenomenon called impostor syndrome occurs when you believe that you’re inadequate and a failure in the face of evidence that you’re skilled and quite successful. At least 70% of people experience this feeling at some point.

  All clients will voice their reasons to not make changes. This is normal. It simply shows us that ambivalence is present. In Tip #101, I described sustain talk, and in #174, I explored some effective ways to respond when…