First find out how the client uses technology. It can be tempting to suggest the latest app or a technology that works well for you. Instead offer to use it in ways that fit for this person and support her…

Affirming is one of the fundamental Motivational Interviewing skills. It supports engagement, encourages the client to further explore the change process and builds confidence. To form an affirmation, find an effort the client is making or a strength you notice…

As nutrition professionals we are trained to assess our clients’ nutritional status and determine the best treatment for the nutrition problems we find. This means focusing on what’s wrong. We understandably use our corrective lens. This is appropriate and useful…

Making profound change is not easy. We know that obstacles to making healthy changes will arise. It is natural for us to focus on these obstacles. We want to help our clients and see ourselves as problem-solvers, so we look…

I’ve written many Tips on giving advice. As nutrition counselors that is an important part of our job. To summarize: Motivational Interviewing offers us this format for most effectively couching our education: Elicit what the client already knows and/or needs…

When we provide advice to our clients, we make sure it is based on solid scientific evidence. What about how we deliver the advice? Is there evidence that can direct us here? Indeed, careful Motivational Interviewing research on specific wording…

Do you have a colleague who wants to practice counseling skills as much as you do? Great! Here are some ways you can help each other.

I am often asked how to most effectively work with interpreters.