Motivational interviewing in practice: A structured approach

(from the chapter) motivational interviewing has attracted increasing attention over the past 10 yrs, particularly in the treatment of people experiencing problems with substance use / motivational interviewing begins . . . with the premise that people are in fact quite motivated / motivational interviewing arose in response to a trend in the treatment of people experiencing alcohol and other drug problems, an approach involving the use of direct confrontation and persuasion / the style of the therapist is considered to be an important factor in the client–counselor interaction / the client's own perception of his/her situation is essential to the therapeutic process / what is considered more important is to assist the client through the decision-making process and to strengthen commitment for change / the aim of motivational interventions is . . . to elicit from the client any concerns related to the behavior, and personal reasons for change / case illustration [a 35-yr-old female with alcohol abuse] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter)