Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing (MI) has been established as an efficacious clinical approach for treating a range of emotional and behavioral concerns, both alone and in combination with other interventions. MI is a method of communication designed to increase intrinsic motivation and commitment to change. The MI method is consistent with self-determination theory that suggests that patient’s internalize motivation when he or she feels relatedness, competence, and autonomy support. MI is specified by an underlying perspective or spirit, a flow of processes, and a set of skills. MI spirit is defined by partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation. MI processes include engaging, focusing, evoking, planning, and maintaining. The primary MI skills are reflections, open questions, and providing information or advice in an MI style. This review presents an overview of these components with real-world examples. MI is grounded in research and highly applicable across many settings. The practitioner seeking to incorporate MI into practice will better facilitate behavior change and maximize human potential in diverse populations. This review contains 5 figures, 6 tables, and 55 references.