I came across motivational interviewing when I was working for a substance abuse charity a few years back. I also know it’s used in other areas of mental health support. Thus, I’d been wondering for a while about how I could adapt motivational interviewing into a self-help article, and this is what I came up with. I may, in the future, do a full review/summary of motivational interviewing; if that’s something you’d like to learn about, let me know in the comments section.
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What Is Motivational Interviewing?
In a nutshell, motivational interviewing is a method therapists use to promote change, especially in the face of resistance to change. One of the core beliefs in motivational interviewing is that the therapist and clients work together to help the client implement changes. However, ultimately the client is responsible for choosing and carrying out the actions that’ll lead to change (Miller and Rollnick, 2002).
Adapting motivational interviewing theory and techniques into a self-help, wellbeing, and goal-setting approach could help you identify and change things in your life that might be holding you back. This could be useful if you struggle with self-sabotaging behaviours and/or thinking errors.
Develop Discrepancy
If there’s something you’re thinking about changing or are in the process of trying to change, then engaging in this thought exercise could help you succeed in making that change.
Motivational interviewing states that change is enhanced when potential or perceived discrepancies between your current situation and your hopes for the future are examined or how your current behaviours differ from your desired or ideal behaviours (SAMHSA, 1999).
Questions to Ask Yourself
Motivational interviewing makes use of open-ended questions because they invite you to reflect and elaborate (Miller and Rollnick, 2013). Thus, the following will aim to apply that approach to your own thoughts and ideas around change to increase the likelihood that change will occur and remove any ambivalence.
One good way of using these open-ended questions to help develop changes could be to write these down rather than using them as a thought exercise. If you have a journal, then you could write and answer the questions in your journal. If you don’t have a journal, then a notepad and pen or writing app will also do.
As you go through these and ask yourself these questions, it would also be beneficial to provide yourself with examples so that they’re grounded in your reality, rather than being something you can dismiss as being ‘abstract’.
Problem recognition
You may have some problems in your life that are starting to bother you, or someone may have expressed some concerns about your behaviours. Taking some time to self-reflect on this could help you make appropriate changes, seek appropriate support, etc.
So what kind of questions could you ask yourself to get the ball rolling on this? Well, you could start by finding out your feelings on the matter. For example, you could ask yourself: How do I feel about…? Borrowing from the substance abuse field, you could complete this question by saying: How do you feel about your current drug use and the effects it’s having on your quality of life?
Expression of concern
If you have concerns about making a change, then it’s time to start asking yourself what your concerns are, so you can work to overcome them. But be honest with yourself when you do this, as this will be more effective the more honest you are. If, like me, you have problems with procrastination and low motivation, then list that as a concern.
An example of what you could ask yourself is: What worries do I have about…? Therefore, if you had an issue with your alcohol use, then you could complete that question by asking: What worries do I have about my level of alcohol consumption and its effects on my health?
Explore decisional balance
Think of this as asking yourself what the pros and cons, positives and negatives, or benefits and costs of keeping the status quo are. Therefore, you could first ask yourself what the positives of remaining the same are, creating a list, and following that with a list of the negatives of staying the same.
For example, if you with struggling with substance dependency, then you could have a list of positives that might include: it helps me cope, I enjoy using, etc., and on your list of negatives you might have: it’s pushing my loved one’s away, I can’t stop thinking about using, etc.
Intention of change
This is a pretty simple question you can ask yourself: What would I like to do about…? Taking a step away from using substance dependency as an example, you could ask yourself: What would I like to do about my self-harming?
Optimism
This one reminds me of SMART goals because it seems to bring some of the principles around using SMART goals into motivational interviewing (although it might actually be more the other way around): I’m a big advocate of using and adapting SMART goals.
Anyway, so why call this step optimism? Well, the way I see it, if you’re already thinking about change, then this will help you create a list of motivations to start making those changes, by asking yourself one simple question: What makes you feel that now is the right time to change?
If you’re already thinking about making changes, then this should create a list of good motivational points you can return to should you feel your motivation start to slip. However, I’m aware this also has the potential to give you a reason to not pursue your desire to change. However, if you’ve made it this far, then I already believe in your commitment to making that change, so don’t give up now.
Self-empathy
Motivational interviewing encourages empathy and respect from the therapist when exploring and identifying the client’s thoughts on their behaviours (Boyle, Vseteckova, and Higgins, 2019). However, in this situation, there is no therapist.
There are a couple of ways you could apply this to yourself, starting with treating yourself with kindness. More often than not, we’re our own worst critics. I know I’m mine (Thinking Errors). Show yourself comparison, to err is human, so focus on working towards self-improvement rather than dwelling and getting stuck in your past.
But to truly encompass the idea of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes to better understand the other person, I was reminded of a common question that’s often used, and which I used in my 12 Benefits Of Having A Safety Plan worksheets/workbooks (which you can find on my Resources page). That question goes like this: What would you do or say to support your friend who was in this situation instead of you?
Summarising
This is a skill that therapists use to summarise what the client has said in a session, which could be done to highlight what the client has said or to point out contradictory statements the client has made. They can also be used to seek clarification, to move the discussion forward, or so the therapist can provide additional information or ask a question based on the summary they’ve made.
However, I think that as you’re working on your own effects to change, if you’ve written a lot of notes whilst working through this, then you could benefit from writing a summary of what you’ve said as well. It’ll help focus what you’ve written in a more compact format, whilst allowing you to have another chance of examining what you wrote while you write your summary. So be sure to reflect on what you’re summarising when you do your summaries.
Implementing change
An effective way of promoting the changes you want to make is to apply SMART goals to them, so you can create a realistic set of steps you can take to achieve your aims. To find out more about SMART goals, click here or if you’re already familiar with SMART goals, then you can click here to get my free printable worksheet.
Well, that’s it for adapting motivational interviewing into a form of self-help. Let me know what you think about it in the comments section.
As always, leave your feedback in the comments section below. Also, feel free to share your experiences with motivational interviewing and/or change the comments section below as well. If you want to stay up-to-date with my blog, then sign up for my newsletter below. Alternatively, get push notifications for new articles by clicking the red bell icon in the bottom right corner.
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References
Boyle, S., Vseteckova, J., & Higgins, M. (2019). Impact of Motivational Interviewing by Social Workers on Service Users: A Systematic Review. Research on Social Work Practice, 29(8), 863–875. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731519827377.
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2002). Motivational interviewing. [electronic resource] : preparing people for change (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing : helping people change (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
SAMHSA. (1999). Enhancing Motivation For Change in Substance Abuse Treatment. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 35. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64967/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK64967.pdf.
Thatt was an interesting read. Have never heard of motivational interviewing before.
Manju
Thanks
Nice blog post. Very well written..
Thanks
Yeah…..I heard about motivational interviewing before. And I did this practice. It really helps me to motivate myself in becoming a better person. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for reading ☺️
Very interesting post – it made me think of coaching (the asking of the questions) but with a therapeutic twist on it (looking back to move forward)
It wouldn’t surprise me if aspects of it were used in coaching, I think it actually would be a pretty effective method to use
That sounds a wonderful kind of therapy where you introspect, observe and take action. Thanks for introducing this wonderful concept!!
It can be quite effective, and help bridge the gap between person-centred and CBT when working in addiction
I never heard of Motivational interview before…..
And I totally agree with you on writing down the points we had said which can help us summarize our present condition as we will not remember everything we had said…..
Mental health should be treated as an important feature by everyone….
Thank you for sharing this post ?
It’s really useful
JENISH | https://knowafactfromj.blogspot.com
I’m glad I got to show you something new, however briefly
This is such a great post. What an awesome exercise to practice. It is often hard to overcome negativity in life and make a positive change. I do believe this could help so many people. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Indeedd, it can be really had to change
Such a great read! I’ve briefly heard of this in my psych classes but don’t know too much about it. It looks like a great way to improve oneself.
Nice to know it gets taught in some psychology classes, as it’s normally confined to counselling skills
Very enlightening post. Motivational Interviewing is a completely new term to me. You learn something new every day. Thank you for providing a vehicle to positivity.
I’m glad you learnt something new
I love open ended questions! Taking time to reflect on where our choices lead us is always fascinating, as is maybe even thinking and realizing that we have changed our minds about some things and decided on new thoughts and new ideas to move forward on. Thinking and writing about whatever comes to mind is another way I learn new things about myself.
Thanks for sharing!
I use to write down whereever came to mind, back in the day. My mind used to be wild and chaotic, so I’d have a lot of thoughts to jot
The journal idea is great and I love to write down things that I want to do and stay organized. It also help to stay motivate to look on the things you have have done.
There’s always a reason to journal
Awesome post as always! I had heard about motivational interviewing before but didn’t know too much about it until now.
I’m glad I was able to provide you with some bite size information about it
I never heard of Motivational interview before. I really loved exploring decision balancing. Very thoughtful and insightful post. The thing about self empathy was so true. Posts regarding mental health should be encouraged more since its what we need the most now. Finding ways that can help us or anyone suffering from it.
I think we all could benefit from practicing a little more self empathy
I’ve used SMART goals before, to very good affect. Using this interview technique, would probably do me a lot of good.
SMART goals are pretty dam handy
I have done included motivational interviewing in my therapy sessions before when I was working with clients. It can be a highly effective tool is used well. The way you approached it as a self help technique is commendable. Thank you for writing such a helpful and insightful article.
Thank you very much ?
Awesome and seems very useful idea.Thanks for sharing a great article!!
Thanks for stopping by ?
This was intriguing. As usual, it’s tough to have self empathy and optimism, but it sounds as if those are key to success when implementing change!
Indeed, both of which I don’t practice what I preach ha ha ha
This is all great advice. I love that you included the importance of being honest with ourselves. It’s easy to allow ourselves to overlook the areas where we need to change, blindspots in our lives. While being honest can be painful, it’s the secret to growth.
Indeed, your can’t change if you’re sweeping what needs to be addressed under the rug
You’ve written a great post on motivational interviewing! Nice to see the appreciative thoughts in the comments.
I learned about motivational interviewing at one of my social work jobs. I began using it and saw positive results. I especially like the ruler technique – asking someone to rank a behavior from zero (not motivated to change) to ten (motivated to change). Ranks from 1 and up provide room for discussion – they didn’t rank themselves at zero, so they have some desire to change. Also, a good question to ask is “what is preventing you from ranking higher?” or “what would have to happen to get you to rank yourself from a 7 to a 9 or 10?”
That’s a good idea to apply it to myself, as I’m a procrastinator. So far, when it comes to home use, I’ve only applied it on my husband, lol.
I’d forgotten about the ranking method, I should really start using that more
This is something really fresh! Never heard about Motivational interviews. Thanks for sharing this unique piece.
Thank you ☺️
This is really interesting, I’ve never heard of motivational interviewing before but it sounds like such a great way to help your mental health! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thanks for reading ?
This is something new to me. Very insightful and knowledgeable piece.
I’m glad I was able to introduce you to a new approach
Great post as always. I think implementing change and showing empathy for yourself are key factors
Indeed they are
Your posts are always so informative 🙂 Motivational interviewing sounds like such a great tool to use on yourself to encourage a change in thinking. I really liked learning about SMART goals and checked out that post of yours as well! You have really interesting content
I’m glad you enjoyed both my self-care intervention articles
I didn’t know motivational interviewing was a thing! Thanks for sharing more about what it is and how it’s used. I found this post really interesting
Thanks for reading
Never thought of using motivational interviewing on myself ?
I’m glad you liked the idea
I have been doing the motivational interviewing years before I even realized that’s what it is called. As a kid I always used this to boost my confidence and more so to make myself feel better. In a way it part of my self care 🙂 Very well written and explained. Thanks for sharing
This is a super interesting technique I think, because it can see how you make mistakes in thinking. I often repeat the question ‘what’s so bad about that?’, which helps me to put everything into perspective.
That’s a good question to ask yourself
Very interesting read! It definitely outlined some helpful tools that many people might find useful!
Thank you ?
I like this interview process. I encourages people to just think, but to think by asking themselves a better question. You can get more out of yourself with a question that has many possibilities for positive outcomes.
Indeed you can
Is this the same approach that’s used when some gives you counselling for depre and anxiety?
I imagine it’s the base approach for a lot of counsellors nowadays, although it was originally designed to tackle ambivalence in addiction to foster change
This is very interesting and informative. It’s my first time hearing about motivational interviewing. I like your suggestion that you do this in a journal and provide examples to make sure what you’re writing is grounded in reality. So often we can get away with thinking things that we don’t justify and don’t have to because there’s no one to challenge those thoughts.
Indeed, it’s so easy to get away with that when there’s no one to help keep you on track
This is an interesting method that I’ve ever heard of before. It sounds great though and I want to give this technique a try. Thank you for sharing!
I hope you find it useful when you try out my adapted approach
Great post! This was very informative and a helpful resource—I learned several new things and I appreciate the guidance. Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad I was able to teach you a few new things
I have long been a proponent of writing and journaling as a form of self care, but never quite considered this approach. Outstanding! I also love the concept of “self empathy.” Keep up the good work.
Journalling is the go to self-care intervention for a good reason
This is really interesting! I believe that the implementation is basically where we face problems.
So true
Thank you for sharing. Very well written. I like that it’s not just informative but also has a personal touch to it. This came at the perfect time because I’ve always struggled with motivation. I’ve never heard of motivational interviewing before. I’m definitely going to have to try this.
Thank you. I hope you find trying my adaptation of motivational interviewing into a self-help tool as something useful
I have never heard of motivational interviewing before, had to look it up. It sounds like an interesting technique or method! I have never really had an issue with change and actually enjoy and embrace it (even if it causes me anxiety sometimes) but it is interesting all the same and I can see where it would be very helpful for a lot of people.
I wish I could be more like that, but change isn’t always so easy for me
I hadn’t really heard of this before until now but it seems it could be so effective for someone like me! Love the idea.
Thank you ? I hope your enjoy trying it out
Interesting read never heard of this before! x
Glad you liked it
So much new things for me. Interesting article, I really enjoyed it. Thanks.
Thanks for reading
I’d never heard of this before but your post is so informative!
I honestly feel like I have learnt so much
Kat
Always good to learn something new ☺️
This is so well put, I think something like this can definitely work better for someone with a deteriorating mental health!
Let’s hope so
Sounds like what routinely and unconsciously do everyday of my freaking adult life.