MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING Meaning and
Definition
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Motivational interviewing is a counseling approach used to facilitate behavior change by encouraging individuals to explore their own motivations and increase their intrinsic motivation to make positive decisions or accomplish change. It is a collaborative conversation style that focuses on eliciting the person's reasons for change, while respecting their autonomy and perspective.
Motivational interviewing aims to address ambivalence and enhance commitment to change by exploring the individual's own values, goals, and strengths. The approach employs active listening skills, empathy, and open-ended questions to create a non-judgmental and supportive atmosphere.
The core principles of motivational interviewing include expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy. Expressing empathy involves understanding and accepting the person's feelings, struggles, and experiences without judgment. Developing discrepancy encourages individuals to recognize the gap between their current behavior and their desired future. Rolling with resistance entails avoiding arguments and power struggles, instead respecting the individual's autonomy and providing options. Lastly, supporting self-efficacy involves fostering the belief in one's ability to make positive changes and emphasizing confidence in the person's skills and strengths.
Overall, motivational interviewing is an evidence-based approach used in various fields such as healthcare, addiction counseling, and behavioral change interventions. It acknowledges the importance of internal motivation and aims to evoke and strengthen an individual's own motivations for positive change.
Etymology of MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
The word "motivational interviewing" has a Latin origin. The term "motivational" is derived from the Latin word "motivus", which means "of motion" or "the moving cause". The word "interviewing" comes from the Latin verb "intervidere", which means "to see between" or "to see within". Therefore, the combination of these two words, "motivational interviewing", refers to a communication style focused on exploring and understanding an individual's motivation and helping them resolve ambivalence towards behavior change. It was first introduced by psychologists William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick in the early 1980s.
