What is MI?
Motivational interviewing is defined as “a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.” (Miller & Rollnick, 2013, pg. 29)
About Motivational Interviewing
The first paper on motivational interviewing was published in 1983 by Dr. W.R Miller and later expanded on with Dr. S. Rollnick. By combining relational and technical skills and strategies, an MI approach supports helping professionals initiate and guide change conversations engagingly and effectively – shifting from directing to guiding. Communication is purposeful and focused, helping professionals draw out reasons to consider changing from the individual versus telling them what they should do. MI is particularly effective in supporting engagement, reducing discord and building motivation for change.
Change Talk Associates Publications
Practice Guides
Support Group Practice Guide
Trauma-informed Practice Guide
Liberation! Helping Women Quit Smoking
Book Chapters
Integrating Motivational Interviewing into Social Work Practice, with Cristine Urquhart & Fredrik Eliasson
Chapter 9
Motivational Interviewing Empowerment Groups for Women with Addictions, with Frances Jasiura, Winnie Hunt, and Cristine Urquhart
Chapter 15
Collaborative Change Conversations: Integrating Trauma-informed Care and Motivational Interviewing with Women, with Cristine Urquhart and Frances Jasiura
Chapter 5
Integrating Motivational Interviewing into Social Work Practice, with Rhoda Emlyn-Jones, Bill James, & Cristine Urquhart
Chapter 9
Learn More About MI
To learn more about motivational interviewing and explore the numerous resources and publications, go to the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) website https://motivationalinterviewing.org/
MI is an Evidence-Based Communication Style
- Over 4 decades of research and more than a thousand controlled trials
- Identified as Best Practice in a number of health and social service areas
- A brief intervention
- Learnable and measurable
- Can be effective cross-culturally
- Complimentary with other treatment approaches, such as CBT
MI Helps us Think About Change Differently
- Information alone is not synonymous with change
- No person is completely unmotivated
- Ambivalence to change is normal
- Motivation and discord are highly responsive to practitioner style
- What people say about change impacts whether or not it will happen
MI is Particularly Helpful to…
- Support engagement and reduce discord
- Create the conditions for ambivalence to emerge
- Build readiness and prepare people for change
- Strengthen commitment to change
What Our Clients Say
Excellent course, excellent instructor! Thank you so much – I’d happily take a semester long course from Cristine in this topic!
This experience has been very transformative and inspiring. Thank you for the way that you teach!
Really appreciated the skill and expertise of the instructor. It was clear how well she knew the material and was really able to keep things relevant and made the 2-days feel meaningful and enjoyable. Thanks!
Cristine, I’ve never had such a profound seminar leader. Great Job.
You bring calmness and grounding to your teachings. So nice. Thanks for creating a safe space to learn.
Amazing workshop! So glad I attended. I would definitely recommend to colleagues. This helped me developed skills that will help me be a better counsellor.
An excellent introduction to a tool that should be in every clinician’s toolbox. I wish I had found out about this sooner.
Excellent resource to any healthcare professional, and from a personal development standpoint. Will be recommending to colleagues.
Awesome presenter! Very skilled at managing group dynamics and encouraging the energy of the group.
Thanks for a great experience – Cristine is a fantastic facilitator. Very warm, knowledgeable, and flexible to the needs of the group. She also did a great job adjusting the material to fit with the online format and keep people engaged.
This was a fantastic training. I loved how you modelled MI through your skilled facilitation and created a safe space for learning even via Zoom. Thank you so much.
The course took MI concepts from conceptual to practical and implementable for me – I feel I walked away with a few quick changes I can make in my day-to-day practice to counsel patients more effectively.
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