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What is Motivational Interviewing?

Tara Warwick, MS, OTR/L

December 26, 2018

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Question

What is motivational interviewing?

Answer

Motivational interviewing comes from addiction research and looking at how hard it is for people to change. Change doesn't happen by simply telling a person, "You need to stop doing this." Change occurs through the process of motivational interviewing which is a strategy for helping people through change. I use motivational interviewing a lot when I'm going into schools to help with children who are having challenging behaviors. It all comes down to change and seeing where they're at in this cycle of change.

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, person-centered form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change. We're working together to strengthen that reason to want to change. It doesn't come from you saying, "You need to do this." It has to come through a process. For the purposes of this presentation, and due to time constraints, I'm going to provide you with the highlights of motivational interviewing.

There are four core principles to motivational interviewing.

  1. Express empathy -- build rapport.
  2. Develop discrepancy -- elicit the pros and cons of continuing the behavior.
  3. Roll with resistance -- respect the person's autonomy. This can be a hard pill to swallow, but we have to respect the fact that they can still make their own decisions, even if you don't agree with their decision. We have to respect that a parent or a teacher has the autonomy to make their own decisions and we have to roll with it because we're not going to get people to change by just telling them that they need to change.
  4. Support self-efficacy -- communicate that their child is capable of change and that they have all the skills needed to be successful. We can work together. We're building that confidence.

(https://www.umass.edu/studentlife/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/Motivational_Interviewing_Definition_Principles_Approach.pdf)

This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It (Family-Centered Practice & Teaming), by Tara Warwick, MS.

tara warwick

Tara Warwick, MS, OTR/L

Tara Warwick, MS, OTR/L, is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy in 2000 and completing her Master’s degree in rehabilitation sciences with an emphasis in pediatrics in 2005. She has spent her entire career focusing on improving the quality of services for children, primarily targeting children with autism.  She currently co-owns a pediatric therapy practice called Today’s Therapy Solutions and is a consultant for the Oklahoma Autism Center through the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center – Child Study Center. Tara’s specialties include working with children with autism and challenging behavior. She has extensive experience and expertise in behavior management, sensory processing, self-care training (potty training, eating/feeding, dressing, play, etc.), and assistive technology.  She has conducted trainings and provided consultations for schools, parents and health and child care professionals all across the state.

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