3 Tips Motivational Interviewing Tips to Support Change

YOU are in the business of helping people change!

Yet sometimes you may inadvertently say things that contribute to client resistance to change.

How does this happen?

Let’s take a look! I invite you to ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. Do I listen more than I talk? Or am I talking more than I listen?

When we are utilizing MI, we should be talking less than our clients. Like, less than 50% of the time. Supporting change is typically not about giving information, telling our stories, thoughts and opinions, or falling into that Fixing Reflex (persuading, convincing). Create room for your clients to think out loud, explore their motivation for change, and hear themselves speak through YOUR reflective listening! 

2. Do I normalize ambivalence in the change process? Or am I underestimating their struggle with this change?

Ambivalence means there are strengths on both sides! I still remember a client I worked with that told me he had never heard a provider tell him that it was normal for a part of him to not want to give up drinking. When I shared with him that ambivalence to quitting drinking was normal, I visibly watched his shoulders drop, as he began releasing a bit of shame he had been holding onto. Think about it, if you believe you shouldn’t be ambivalent, then you may think ‘what is wrong with me?’ That’s another barrier to change! Change is hard! Ambivalence is normal!

3. Do I help this person identify success and challenges from their past, and help them relate this to present change efforts? Or am I assuming they have the confidence needed to do this?

When people change, they need to feel it is both important to change, and have CONFIDENCE in their ability to change. We want people to feel connected to their inner strengths, past successes, and abilities AND tie these to their current challenges. What questions can you ask to elicit past success? Consider what strengths you can affirm! 

I have a 1-hr self-paced course on this very topic called You May Be Accidentally Contributing to Client Stuckness: Methods from MI and Change Research.

I made a free download for you with some MI tips! Here is your MI Checkup

Motivational Interviewing Tip of the Week: What are one or two behaviors you can focus on this week that will help you help others? Is it talking less? Normalizing ambivalence? Affirming strengths? Or another from this checklist?! Have fun! Let me know how it goes!

Watch my full video here!