MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEW

“If you treat a person as they are, they will remain as they are. But if you treat them as they could be or should be, they will become what they could be or should be.” (Goethe)

Motivation is the state of desire, energy, and enthusiasm that drives a person to achieve a specific goal. The higher a person’s motivation, the more likely and easier it is for them to reach their goal.

Motivational interviewing is a therapeutic communication method aimed at eliciting a person’s internal motivation for change and helping them resolve ambivalence in order to reach a solution. Motivational interviewing is not a method of persuasion; rather, it is a way of preparing the client for change. The client is encouraged toward change, but full responsibility for change remains with the client.

It is especially used in addictions and helps individuals reveal or increase their willingness to change.

It is not a therapy technique itself, but rather an approach that can be integrated into other therapy methods such as cognitive therapy.

The therapist does not make decisions on behalf of the client. Instead, the therapist guides the client through open-ended questions, helping them recognize and explore their ambivalence.

The question of why people do not want to change is just as important as why they want to change. In some negative life situations, individuals continue their behavior despite recognizing harm and repeatedly experiencing negative consequences. For example, a person may continue smoking despite a cancer diagnosis, continue gambling despite losing all their assets, or remain in a relationship where they are consistently devalued. The therapist’s role is to identify the internal resistance (barriers to treatment and change) that prevents the client from changing and work through these barriers to facilitate change.

It is applied in:

Addictions (smoking, alcohol, substances, gambling)

Weight loss efforts

Individuals struggling to change lifestyle habits

Those who have difficulty implementing important life decisions

Psychiatrist Dr. Arzu Dalmış