Treating Anxiety with Motivational Interviewing

Anxiety disorders affect millions in Australia, with 14.4 percent of Australians being affected by an anxiety disorder in any 12 month period (Mindframe, 2012). In the United States, 40 million Americans or 18.1% of the population are affected by anxiety every year (ADAA, 2020). Even though one-third of those in both countries seek treatment for the disorder, anxiety still carries a huge disease burden, costing the United States more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country's total mental health bill (ADAA, 2014). Similarly in Australia, anxiety and depressive disorders are the third leading cause of disability burden, accounting for about 27 percent of the years lost to disability. Even among the one-third of sufferers who have sought treatment, many have come away disappointed - and still anxious. Motivational interviewing is a therapeutic approach gaining wide popularity in mental health practitioner circles as a respectful, client-centred means of working with clients to help them resolve ambivalence and build resolve (either to make change - the obvious end point of most therapy - or to maintain the status quo, if that is determined to be preferable). How to use this approach with anxiety disorders is the focus of this course. Note: This course builds on the foundational understanding set in the course “Motivational Interviewing: The Basics.” As its name suggests, the Basics course examines the spirit of motivational interviewing, covers its main principles, and goes through the stages of change, showing how to elicit change talk in clients and work with predictable resistance to change. Unless you are very familiar with the principles and specific techniques of motivational interviewing, you must do the Basics course before embarking on this one. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to: Explain the spirit of motivational interviewing and the rationale for using it to treat anxiety; Define anxiety and list the chief forms of anxiety which MI can treat; Discuss the chief aspects of MI - engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning - which comprise a successful treatment plan; Detail MI-consistent ways of working with anxiety within each aspect.