Definition
Motivational interviewing is an evidence-based approach to helping people explore and resolve ambivalence about maladaptive behaviors that are creating some difficulty in their lives. Introduced by Dr. William R. Miller in 1983 at the University of New Mexico and developed in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Rollnick, motivational interviewing is a client-centered and directive approach that is designed to help develop intrinsic motivation for behavior change through the resolution of ambivalence about the behavior and its consequences. The underlying principle for this approach is that individuals are more likely to make lasting behavior changes when they reach a decision themselves rather than being forced or coerced.
The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing
Miller and Rollnick describe the spirit of Motivational Interviewing as a way of being with people. Working within the spirit of Motivational Interviewing requires collaboration (creating a partner-like relationship),...
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References and Readings
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2002). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people for change (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Rollnick, S., Miller, W. R., & Butler C. (2007). Motivational interviewing in health care: Helping patients change behavior. New York: Guilford Press.
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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Corsica, J.A. (2011). Motivational Interviewing. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_416
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_416
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