What Is Motivational Interviewing?
What Is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational Interviewing—commonly called MI—is a collaborative style of communication used to help people explore change.
Rather than trying to convince someone that they should change, MI helps create conversations where people can examine their own experiences, values, concerns, motivations, and possibilities.
This distinction matters.
People are often ambivalent about change. They may want something to be different while simultaneously having understandable reasons for continuing things as they are.
MI gives professionals a way to work with that ambivalence rather than against it.
MI emphasizes:
Partnership rather than confrontation
Curiosity rather than assumption
Listening rather than immediately advising
Autonomy rather than control
Evoking a person's own reasons for change
Compassion and respect for the individual
MI Is More Than a Set of Techniques
Skills such as open questions and reflections are important, but Motivational Interviewing is not simply a communication checklist.
How the professional approaches the conversation matters.
The practitioner seeks to understand the person's perspective while creating an environment in which meaningful conversations about change can occur.
Where Is MI Used?
Motivational Interviewing is used across many helping professions, including:
Behavioral health
Recovery services
Substance use treatment
Healthcare
Mental health
Criminal justice
Social services
Education
Supervision and leadership
Key Takeaway
MI shifts the question from:
“How do I convince this person to change?”
to:
“How can I help this person explore their own reasons for change?”
Continue Learning: Explore AP4L Motivational Interviewing resources and training.
