People often ask if there is a typical rhythm or flow to a Motivational Interviewing session鈥nd the answer, of course, is yes and no. Yes, there is a 鈥渕ethod鈥� to MI explained through 4 processes (Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning) which are often sequential. And no, because even though these processes can often be sequential, they are also recursive. Imagining these 4 processes as stair steps, each process can build on the next or the client and clinician may dance together up and down the staircase continually returning to prior steps as needed.
Throughout the next 4 months, we will discuss each of the 4 processes of MI. This month, we are going to focus on the first process, Engaging. As you can imagine, this process attempts to establish a therapeutic relationship by building rapport and trust. Ways to accomplish this include: asking permission, asking open ended questions, acknowledging that change is difficult, being comfortable with silence, allowing the client to talk more than the clinician, using reflective listening, and affirming client鈥檚 choice to be in the session.
