Motivational Interviewing Therapy For Substance Use Recovery
Sometimes the goal you envision for yourself is right there, yours for the taking, but the drive to make positive change is endlessly elusive. When struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, it’s even more difficult to face those challenges and take healthy, restorative action.
Motivational Interviewing therapy for substance use disorder is the intervention that will help you or your loved one cultivate the desire to take action. The benefits far exceed a simple behavior change; positive outcomes can be identified in many other areas of life, from personal to professional and even within relationships.
Making choices and activating changes aligned with your life goals and core values is not always easy. With the right guidance and support, the clinicians and teams at MARC are here to help you pursue the best version of yourself and create a positive future.
What is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational interviewing therapy (also known as MI) is a collaborative framework for facilitating change in difficult circumstances that was first defined in Miller and Rollnick’s book Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change. The approach focuses on goals and outcomes through a strategic style of communication.[1]
Through their study and methods, you can learn to identify harmful patterns, understand desirable behaviors, and activate internal or intrinsic motivation to change. This evidence-based therapy approach is appropriate for anyone struggling with a myriad of substance use, mental health, or behavior disorder challenges who need to reset harmful patterns.
MI is considered a brief intervention usually requiring no more than up to three sessions.[2] As part of our full range of substance use disorder and addiction treatment programs, MI is administered by therapists and certified clinicians.
At MARC, our focus is on community support and lifelong success. Motivational Interviewing is a core component of our approach to recovery and healing.
How (and Why) Motivational Interviewing Therapy Works
Motivational interviewing therapy was created around two primary components, a relational component between patient and provider, built on trust and empathy, and a technical or strategic component to evoke change talk or language that indicates a positive intention to make healthy changes.[3] This is a person-centered process you and your therapist or provider undertake together to overcome ambivalence and activate motivation to pursue a desired outcome.
The core principles of MI include:[4]
- Express empathy: Patients require an environment of empathy and acceptance to feel safe sharing, disclosing, and being vulnerable. Many concerns addressed by MI carry a disheartening stigma that may need to be overcome.
- Develop discrepancy: Patients gain a new understanding of their circumstances by revealing the discrepancy between current harmful behaviors and stated goals or desires.
- Roll with resistance or overcome ambivalence: Viewing harmful patterns with ambivalence is common when faced with substance use disorders, and resistance to change is a natural part of that journey. The MI approach takes this in stride and views resistance as an opportunity to present an alternate perspective.
- Support self-efficacy or personal autonomy: Receiving affirmations about your actions or plans can elevate your confidence and spark additional motivation to make positive changes.
Efficacy of Motivational Interviewing Therapy
Though originally created specifically to treat alcohol and nicotine (smoking) cessation, motivational interviewing has shown to be significantly successful for a myriad of challenges, including alcohol use disorder (AUD), substance use disorder (SUD), smoking, promoting physical activity, and sexual health.[5]
There have been numerous studies and comparisons on the effectiveness of motivational interviewing, particularly for alcohol use and alcohol addiction. Documented benefits include reduced alcohol consumption by volume and frequency, less binge drinking, and lower blood alcohol concentration.[6]
Substance use disorder sufferers have also benefited from the MI approach to recovery. Another review revealed that the success of MI offers promising evidence for treating SUD and is a critical psychiatric component for reducing substance use.[7]
What to Expect from Motivational Interviewing Therapy at MARC
Motivational interviewing is unlike many other forms of psychotherapy or therapeutic approaches to recovery. The spirit of Motivational Interviewing is that this is a collaboration, and the partnership you build with your therapist or provider is critical for long-term recovery.
What this looks like will vary somewhat from person to person, as needs and goals are always unique, but in most cases, will be defined by the following motivational interviewing techniques, known as O.A.R.S:[8]
Open-Ended Questions
These questions are posed in such a way as to build rapport with you and provide an opportunity to express empathy. Here, you can tell your story in your own words and offer a peek into your experiences and unique challenges.
Affirmation
Reflective Listening
This is an attuned, genuine, and respectful listening style that is critical to this therapeutic relationship as it communicates acceptance and establishes trust. Reflective listening encourages a positive collaboration where you feel seen, heard, and understood.
Summarizing
What are some typical open-ended questions used in MI?
The specific questions employed across individual therapy sessions may vary, but as a rule, open-ended questions spark further discussion and eliminate yes or no answers. Some examples may include:
- How has this impacted your daily life?
- What are your concerns about your future?
- Can you tell me more about….?
- What are your personal goals?
- Why is this change important to you?
- What do you believe will happen to you if nothing changes?
- What are the benefits you can identify related to making positive change?
- What help do you need to accomplish your goal?
Find Your Own Motivation With Motivational Interviewing Therapy at MARC
The client-centered counseling technique is a respected evidence-based approach for recovery of all types and stages. No one can force change on anyone else; but when you feel empowered to do hard things, great things happen.
At MARC, we’re committed to fostering the process of change and helping you launch into the best phase of your life. Our focus is on powerful community support and proven, strategic interventions that make a difference in your daily life and the life you’re building.
If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol or drug use or a co-occurring mental health condition, we can help you cultivate your own reasons for taking informed, positive action and making healthy life changes. We’re here to be part of the solution and a helpful part of your life.
✦ Frequently Asked Questions ✦
About Motivational Interviewing Therapy
The primary goal of MI is to evoke change talk which signals an intention to make positive change.
Addressing ambivalence is built into the DNA of motivational interviewing. By developing a discrepancy between current behavior and core values or goals, ambivalence or resistance can be resolved.
In many cases, yes. MARC is an in-network provider for Kaiser Permanente and an out-of-network provider for all other major commercial insurances—most of which cover clinical treatment services, like Motivational Interviewing therapy. Call our office to verify your insurance coverage.
[1]Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. (n.d.). Understanding motivational interviewing. Retrieved fromhttps://motivationalinterviewing.org/understanding-motivational-interviewing
[2][4]Rollnick, S., Miller, W. R., & Butler, C. C. (2008). Motivational Interviewing: An Evidence-Based Approach for Use in Medical Practice. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 2(1), 76-84.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8200683/
[3]Miller, W. R., & Rose, G. S. (2009). Toward a theory of motivational interviewing. American Psychologist, 64(6), 527-537. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2759607/
[5][6][7]Hall, K., Gibbie, T., & Lubman, D. I. (2012). Effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing on adult behaviour change in health and social care settings: A systematic review of reviews. Australian Family Physician, 41(9), 660-667.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6193639/
[8]Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Use Disorder. (n.d.). Chapter 3—Motivational Interviewing as a Counseling Style. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571068/