What is Macro Motivational Interviewing?

Did you know that Motivational Interviewing is being applied to systems work? It’s called macro MI!

One of the limitations of traditional approaches to Motivational Interviewing (MI) is the narrow focus on individual behavior change.

Yet we know that an individual is functioning within a system!

And systems impact a clients’ experience!

Macro MI places the client within the context of their family, communities, and larger systems. These larger systems include medical, educational, and correctional bodies.

Macro MI also takes into account historical factors, current policies, culture, values, and more.

This more expanded understanding of the client often results in the identification of structural factors that harm or support resiliency.

To be real, clients experience systems that harm, and systems that support resiliency.

A provider may use Macro MI to better understand the structural elements that impede or support interventions.

This information may lend itself to collaboratively creating a plan that better supports the individual or family system.

Motivational Interviewing Tip of the Week: Consider how systems are impacting your client through the lens of Macro MI. When we look at a client’s experience of change beyond the individual level, we take into account important aspects of systems that may detract or support their change processes.

Written by Sarah Solis

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