What is Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, person-centered form of guiding another person to elicit and strengthen their motivation for positive change. The effectiveness of the process has substantial research backing across multiple disciplines and is used world-wide. 

Who Should Learn Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational Interviewing is for people whose work involves helping others achieve behavior change, such as psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, physicians, nurses, case workers, outreach workers, dietitians, therapists, clergy, personal trainers, probation/parole officers. Thousands of research studies have demonstrated the efficacy of utilizing Motivational Interviewing in settings where ambivalence about changing behaviors is common. It is also a process known to improve supervision and organizational climate.

To learn more about the processes of Motivational Interviewing, download a tip sheet here. If you are interested in improving your skills using Motivational Interviewing, use the interactive virtual practice below. You can also view the embedded MI support document below that we make available on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

Every other week, APPRECOTS produces a newsletter for supervisors to support their team's MI skill development. View the latest issue edition below!

Supporting Our Supervisors (MI SOS)

Motivational Interviewing
Supporting Our Supervisors (SOS)

MI SOS - Issue 77

Considerations:


As we wind up the last few weeks of 2024, let us review our Motivational Interviewing journey over the past year. Here are some thoughts to consider about your team and their Motivational Interviewing progress:

  • How has your team grown this past year?

  • What differences have you seen?

  • How does your team view MI? What are the benefits?

  • How does Motivational Interviewing fit within your program’s culture?

  • How has MI impacted your ability to engage and empower those you serve?

In our busy work environment—with all the policies, procedures and job tasks that are implemented—we can easily switch to checking off boxes and moving on to the next responsibility. Even with Motivational Interviewing, we can focus so much on getting through the steps that we lose sight of Motivational Interviewing as a process. Taking a moment to remember and reinforce the spirit of MI—Partnership, Acceptance, Compassion, and Empowerment—can reignite your team to continue to work alongside individuals in service as they find their internal motivation for change. The more you practice and discuss your use of MI, the more your skills develop, grow, and strengthen!


In the new year, we will be providing an eight-part series that will guide Motivational Interviewing participants along a path of growth, self-reflection, and continuous improvement. This series will emphasize progress, not perfection, and provide resources for both refreshing and enhancing MI skills. Stay tuned for more information on these upcoming workshops!


Opportunities:


When you talk with your team, take time to explore the following questions and envision what role Motivational Interviewing may have in 2025.


  • What is important to the team?

  • What is meaningful to them regarding the program, the services, and their purpose?

  • What are some strengths of your program and team?

  • How does Motivational Interviewing fit in with these goals, values, and strengths?

  • What would the team like to accomplish over the next year regarding Motivational Interviewing?

  • How would they like MI to impact the services being provided?

  • What are their individual desires over the next year regarding Motivational Interviewing?

  • In what ways can MI become a regular part of our daily practice?