Miller And Rollnick: Motivational Interviewing

The Miller and Rollnick reading defines Motivational Interviewing as “a collaborative conversational style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change.” However, there is so much more to it and it cannot be summed up in just one sentence. I was slightly confused on what MI was at first after hearing so much about it in class, but the ballroom dance metaphor certainly made it easier for me to understand. One person is leading the other slightly to make a change and come up with a solution, but in the end, the follower can do as he or she pleases. When faced with a choice of how to deal with an issue, most people have internal debates where things become difficult to examine clearly, but they often have an idea in mind of which path they will take.
There are five main categories of questions used in MI: problem-recognition, concern, about extremes, intention to change, and optimism about change. Saying their thoughts out loud can help them examine their inner feelings and hopefully rationalize their thoughts with another person to bounce ideas off of. The clinician should be doing less than half of the talking – they should just ask questions and hear the other person’s stories. They should feel engaged, empowered, open, and understood, or else they will not feel comfortable to open up and make the necessary change. The TSOC model is often used to determine a person’s readiness for change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and