Couples counseling has a long history in many countries. Recent years have seen renewed interest in how MI can be used with couples to support individual behavior change. Relationship partners (e.g., married spouses, cohabiting couples, main or primary relationship partners, dating partners) have substantial potential to influence one another’s behavior. Partners in such relationships often rely on one another in important ways. They may share important resources (like money, housing costs, social networks, or time). They can also influence one another through their social interactions.
In many ways, MI with couples draws upon elements of established MI practice that will be familiar to any experienced practitioner (for example, MI spirit, processes, and skills like OARS). At the same time, working with a couple means forming an alliance with both of the partners (individually) as well as with the couple as a whole. It involves allowing partners to speak to one another and helping them to communicate more effectively than they might on their own. The workshop will discuss how established MI practices are adjusted in response to these considerations.
One of the biggest challenges in conducting MI with couples has historically been responding in situations where partners feel differently about whether or how change should happen. The workshop will introduce a novel process unique to MI with couples – Facilitating Dyadic Functioning – as well as strategies for supporting productive conversation between partners (and reducing conflict) that have been developed specifically to address this challenge.
This workshop is intended as a practical introduction to couples MI. The workshop is designed for providers familiar with MI who are (or wish to begin) integrating couples’ services into their practice. It will therefore incorporate demonstration, structured practice, and discussion.
At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
- Explain the role of the counselor in an MI session.
- Describe how relationship partners and relationships in general influence individual behavior.
- Recognize and demonstrate the difference between speaking to an individual versus a couple.
- Explain how change plans integrate partner engagement.
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