Autonomy Right from the Start
Reading Time: < 1 minutesEveryone wants autonomy! We want our views and decisions for ourselves to be respected. In Motivational Interviewing, we first remember that people are entitled to make their own decisions, even if we disagree with them. And then, we...
Does Listening Save Time?
Reading Time: 2 minutesChances are, if you are a helping professional right now, you are wicked busy. (Really, our whole culture is busy, busy, busy.) Stopping the rush and truly listening is hard to do. I hear from learners new to Motivational Interviewing, “But...
I’m in “MI Recovery,” and I need regular meetings
Reading Time: 2 minutesI recently had a training inquiry from a fellow who works in a substance abuse treatment program. He shared that he was feeling burned out, like he was working harder than his clients, and he was beginning to feel frustrated and resentful. He...
What if, Just for Today, You Fully Embodied the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing?
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat does that mean anyhow? “Spirit of Motivational Interviewing!?” It actually clicked for me when I heard MI co-creator Steven Rollnick call it “attitude” rather than spirit. Yes, the ATTITUDE I bring to clients absolutely impacts the...
But My Client Isn’t Talking! Using MI in Those Awkward Silences
Reading Time: 2 minutes“How can I use MI when my client isn’t talking?” We have all been there, sitting with a less-than-talkative client as the seconds and minutes tick by. What should I say? Do I fill the space? Do I wait for them to break the...
Hillary Bolter