What is motivational interviewing (MI), and what benefits does it offer? It’s a program that focuses on making positive life choices to reach long-term goals. However, it offers so much more, and it’s important for people to know more about it.
What Is Motivational Interviewing?
MI is a psychotherapeutic program that helps people make positive life choices. The goal is to move them from the realm of uncertainty and indecision toward making decisive actions. These choices propel their lives forward so that they can accomplish goals.
Believe it or not, motivational interviewing has been around for many years. In fact, William R. Miller developed the program with Stephen Rollnick nearly 30 years ago. Now, MI is a common program that rehab centers use.
Does MI Only Work for Treating Addiction?
Some people are under the impression that MI only helps those who suffer from addiction. However, that’s not the case. While treatment centers use it to help those with addiction, it can treat an array of problems.
For example, some therapists use MI to manage physical health conditions. In fact, it’s common for them to use it for people who suffer from asthma, heart disease, and diabetes.
As people gain motivation, they start to make changes to their everyday behaviors. The hope is that these changes steer them toward making healthier life choices. Actually, experts say that MI works best on people who have no motivation. It’s far less effective on those who have motivation but struggle to make the changes.
What Are the Benefits of MI?
The main benefit of MI is that experts have proved it to work. For this reason, many rehab centers teach people about motivational interviewing. The hope is that the more people that know about it, the more that will seek it.
Another benefit of MI is that it puts power back into people’s hands. Therapists offer guidance and information. At the same time, they show respect for people’s decision-making abilities. People with addiction aren’t used to getting this kind of respect.
Lastly, MI inspires deeper collaboration between therapists and clients than traditional therapy programs. Instead of therapists simply explaining problems, they listen and try to understand clients’ points of view. This approach allows them to treat clients successfully.
Learn More About What MI Can Do for You
Do you want to learn more about how MI can aid you in rehab? Crestview Recovery is a treatment center that can help. We offer programs such as MI and much more, including:
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Intensive outpatient rehab
- Group and individual therapy
- Trauma therapy
- Extended-care rehab
Don’t let your long-term goals slip away because of poor life choices. Learn more about what is motivational interviewing and what it can do for you. Reach out to us today at 866.262.0531.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
