Roots of Change: Creating Change Plans with Motivational Interviewing
Whether you work directly in nutrition and fitness or not, nearly ALL of our clients will bring up diet, food, nutrition, and exercise.
And we know that how we respond matters!
Do we inadvertently reinforce diet culture messages, or accidentally bring our own experience or bias into the conversation? How do we determine a collaborative focus, that is in the best interest of the client?
Many professionals in health and wellness fields may not recognize the ways in which language and practice can reinforce diet culture. Supporting the pursuit of weight loss can contribute to disordered eating patterns, yo-yo dieting/weight cycling, and weight stigma. Without conscious reflection, even MI practitioners may inadvertently reinforce these messages, causing further harm.
Weight-neutral or weight-inclusive approaches offer another way forward by taking the focus off of weight outcomes, and instead focusing on sustainable changes that honor health and well-being. This 1-hour virtual session will include tangible strategies for applying weight inclusive practices into motivational interviewing sessions. Participants will explore how MI can help practitioners hold space for their client’s desire for weight loss while also discussing the benefits of moving away from a dieting mindset.
Motivational Interviewing Tip of the Week: Check out our Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition & Fitness: Navigating Diet Culture
Through a Weight-Inclusive Lens course.
Related Posts
Considerations on how MI applies with family over the holidays
The holidays are nearly here. How can Motivational Interviewing help us with family relationships? What about friends? How many times are you talking with your kids, partner, friends or other family members and feel that itching need to give advice or persuade them to...
Related Posts
The Vampire Rule Applies To Motivational Interviewing
I was recently telling a new friend about Motivational Interviewing, and he asked, “Have you used Motivational Interviewing on me in conversation?” I corrected him, “You don’t use Motivational Interviewing on someone, you use it with them.” “Oh, so the Vampire Rule...
Let’s Learn Together!
Hi, I’m Hillary Bolter. At MI Center for Change, Motivational Interviewing is our passion. Motivational Interviewing will help you become more effective and efficient as you support clients’ change!

