Motivational Interviewing: The Basics

As a goal-oriented, client-centred counselling style for eliciting behaviour change, motivational interviewing helps clients to resolve ambivalence. In this course, we explore its essence: the definition; chief principles, techniques, and skills; and interview traps that comprise the practice of motivational interviewing. We list typical applications, along with noting those whose efficacy has been demonstrated through research. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to: Provide definitions of motivational interviewing from multiple perspectives; Distinguish between motivational interviewing and related approaches whose essence is different; Cite applications of motivational interviewing whose efficacy has been demonstrated by research; Identify the principal applications of motivational interviewing; Name the five main principles of motivational interviewing as expressed in the DEARS acronym; Know how/when to use the counselling microskills of MI as expressed in the OARS acronym; Identify clients' stage of change and recognise and elicit change talk in them; List the chief interview traps and roadblocks to listening.