Motivational interviewing

(from the chapter) Patients usually understand that they need to make changes to improve their health, yet time and again they return to see their clinicians having not implemented any of the changes discussed in the consultation. Others may choose not to return, feeling that they have failed and thinking that they "cannot face another lecture" about what they should be doing. For these reasons, talking with patients about making changes to the unhealthier aspects of their lifestyles can often be a difficult, sometimes frustrating experience. This chapter provides an overview of Motivational Interviewing (MI). Following some background information about the situations in which MI might be useful, the rationale behind the method is described, and examples of how MI can be incorporated into clinical practice are provided. The evidence that MI can facilitate behavior change also is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter)