Weekly Motivational
Interviewing Blog

I heard a comment recently that advice is a form of control. I had never thought about it like that!  When I give advice, what is my intention behind it?  I typically think about the intention behind my advice-giving as positive- I’m trying to help! It’s so hard to...

I was talking with someone recently who worked as a chaplain at a hospital. They were talking about documentation, and in their electronic chart for case notes, there was a drop down menu that offered “presence of being” as an intervention that they could select.  ...

I trained a group of therapists last week, and there were lots of questions about what MI can be used for. Can Motivational Interviewing be used for clients with depression?  Can Motivational Interviewing be used for clients with anxiety? Can Motivational Interviewing...

Namaste! I was in my yoga class recently, feeling amazing after a nice shavasana rest on my mat before class closed out. The class always ends with everyone sitting up, hands in prayer pose in front of the heart. Then, as the teacher bows, she says, “Namaste: The...

When learners to OARS and Motivational Interviewing are learning about Reflective Listening, many are initially skeptical about the benefits of it. “What’s wrong with asking questions? We don’t want to put words in someone’s mouth,” they say. When we are using...

It’s not hard to think about how the spirit and skills of Motivational Interviewing can translate into facilitating groups! When I ran outpatient groups in a substance abuse clinic, I utilized Motivational Interviewing in groups all of the time! In one group, I...