Assessing Alcohol Problems Using Motivational Interviewing

In Assessing Alcohol Problems Using Motivational Interviewing, Dr. Linda Sobell demonstrates cognitive–behavioral motivational interviewing techniques for assessing a patient's alcohol use, and then she and Dr. Mark Sobell discuss this useful approach for working with individuals with substance use disorders. Motivational interviewing is a client-centered, directive method for eliciting intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving a person's ambivalence to change using open-ended questions, reflective listening, and decisional balancing. This nonjudgmental, nonconfrontational interviewing style is designed to minimize a patient's resistance. The goal is to construct an interaction with patients so they feel comfortable discussing their risky or problem behavior. In this session, Dr. Linda Sobell works with a young man with a history of problem drinking whose recent break-up with his girlfriend triggered increased risky alcohol use. Dr. Sobell assesses his readiness for change and then interviews him about triggers, behaviors, and cognitions associated with his drinking, emphasizing throughout that the patient has the choice to change, thereby empowering the patient.