This conversation about change has offered many examples of how to build confidence with clients. Today, we will explore both identifying and affirming strengths and reviewing past successes. When we spend time with our clients, we get to know them and learn about their experiences. We often learn about their successes and their challenges. However, the client is sometimes not aware of the many strengths or resources they have available to them or the ones they have used in the past to overcome obstacles in their lives. It can be helpful to identify and remind our clients of these strengths they possess and that have supported them.
It may not be easy for some clients to verbalize their strengths or identify certain characteristics they possess that have helped them navigate challenges in their lives. One way that has been consistent in MI is to offer a menu to the client. This allows the client to pick their own strengths they believe they possess. For example, a list of 50 to 100 adjectives can be listed on a sheet of paper or read to the client for them to select at least 5 (just google 鈥渟trength adjectives鈥� or create your own list). Once they are selected, a conversation and exploration can occur related to these strengths. It can be an opportunity for the client to hear themselves talk about these strengths in order for them to become more aware of them and for the client to take more ownership of them.
The second approach we will discuss today is reviewing past successes. For most of us, there have been times in our lives where we have been faced with something challenging and where we have had to use our strengths and resources to persevere. Reviewing these experiences can be a way to remember some of these strengths that we may have forgotten about or that we haven鈥檛 used often. It can be good to review and be reminded that they are still available to us. Miller and Rollnick offer some questions to ask our clients and some questions to ask ourselves as we engage in this process with our clients.
Questions to ask our clients about past successes:
What changes have you made in your life that were difficult for you?
What things have you managed to do that you weren鈥檛 really sure at first you would be able to do?
How did you do that?
Questions to ask ourselves as we talk with our clients about their strengths:
What did the person do that worked?
Was there specific preparation for change?
Why did the person decide to make this change?
What did they do to initiate and maintain change?
This process is done by the clinician listening closely to the client and allowing them to make the argument for confidence. And asking the client for as much detail as possible can be a great way for the client to learn more about themselves and the strengths they possess.
Identifying and affirming strengths and reviewing past successes can offer the client an opportunity to share their strengths and have them be affirmed by a clinician as well as explore their past successes in order to be reminded of what they already possess. These approaches can be adapted in many ways to be specific to the client and the situation so play with what feels most comfortable for you and most beneficial for the client. It may feel uncomfortable for the client to express about their strengths, but the more opportunities that are provided, the more comfortable they will likely feel.
Next month, we will discuss additional strategies to address a lack of confidence on behalf of the client. I hope everyone is doing as well as possible and you have opportunities to use and practice motivational interviewing. Take good care!
For more information about Motivational Interviewing or related services, contact Eunice Akinyi Okumu, by phone (919) 843-2532, or by email, eunice_okumu@med.unc.edu