Motivational Interviewing

People differ in their readiness to change. Motivational interviewing is about motivating change and in turn eliminating the ambivalent attitude that prevents people from making the changes that are required to manifest a best life.

Conversations about change occur naturally everyday. We become attuned to the aspects of language that signal reluctance, willingness, and commitment. Motivational Interviewing focuses on having more effective conversations about change and to find a constructive way through the challenges that often arise when a helper ventures into someone else’s motivation for change. It is about arranging conversations so that people talk themselves into change, based on their own values and interests.

Motivational interviewing is based on four basic therapeutic principles:

1. Assessment of the client’s stage of change and perspective to allow the therapist to communicate understanding, empathy, and congruence with the client’s perspective.
2. Development of cognitive and attitudinal discrepancies to help clients appreciate the value and potential benefits of change by exploring the difference between how clients want their lives to be versus how they currently are functioning, thinking, and behaving.
3. Acceptance of resistance by defining the client’s defenses and reluctance to change as a process and phase rather than a pathological sign of character flaw and failure.
4. Support self-efficacy by embracing the client’s autonomy and power to change, or not to change, to facilitate movement toward active decision making and action.

At Angus Munro Psychology in Sydney, we often use motivational interviewing in combination with other evidence based treatment & therapy when deemed appropriate.

Our Clinic Address:

2 Warwick Avenue, Cammeray,

Sydney, NSW (2062)

Email: Send your message via the contact form