Motivational Interviewing as a Counseling Style

Course overview

Course Description: This course offers guidance to treatment providers on using the motivational interviewing therapeutic approach, along with the stages-of-change model of behavior change, in substance use treatment. The course content includes updates to the original course, with a literature review on the use of motivational interviewing (MI) in substance use treatment covering 2013 to mid-2017 and the most current (2013) edition of Miller and Rollnicks foundational text. In addition, the course content was updated again in 2019 with further information. This chapter addresses motivational interviewing as a counseling style. This course is based on a publication by SAMHSA and is available at the National Library of Medicine about motivational interviewing as a clinical intervention. This course reviews the assumptions and principles of motivational interviewing and defines specific techniques for use of this model with substance abuse clients. According to the source material Motivational interviewing is a technique in which you become a helper in the change process and express acceptance of your client. It is a way to interact with clients that can help resolve the ambivalence that prevents clients from realizing personal goals. Motivational interviewing builds on Carl Rogers optimistic and humanistic theories about peoples capabilities for exercising free choice and changing through a process of self-actualization. . . . Even for clients with low readiness, motivational interviewing serves as a vital prelude to later therapeutic work. This course serves as an excellent resource for mental health professionals who would like to build their clinical skills in the area of motivational interviewing. Psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists can benefit from this course. This course may also be helpful for other practitioners, such as midwives and dieticians, and nutritionists who may want to use motivational interviewing in their clinical work with patients. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to learn more about motivational interviewing and who wish to develop their clinical skills in this area. Author: SAMHSA Learning Objectives: This course will provide a professional with detailed information about motivational interviewing, particularly with substance abuse clients. Specifically, a professional will: Identify the theoretical foundation and assumptions of motivational interviewing as a counseling technique. Define the principles of motivational interviewing counseling. Identify specific techniques used in motivational interviewing and counseling. Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series No. 35. Chapter 3 SAMHSA Publication No. PEP19-02-01-003. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019. Retrieved from https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/tip35_final_508_compliant_-_02252020_0.pdf on 5/2021.