At 3rd Millennium Classrooms, we strive to have evidence-based practices incorporated into all of our courses. One of these practices is Motivational Interviewing.
Motivational Interviewing is a goal-oriented, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. Motivational interviewing uses affirmations, reflection, open-ended questions, and periodic, strategically placed summary statements. It is used in all of our courses.
Motivational Interviewing is based on the following assumptions:
- Ambivalence about substance use (and change) is normal and constitutes an important motivational obstacle in recovery.
- Ambivalence can be resolved by working with an individual’s intrinsic motivations and values.
- An empathic, supportive, yet directive, counseling style provides conditions under which change can occur.
The first goal of Motivational Interviewing is to increase a person’s motivation to change. Our courses do this by asking questions about the consequences of certain actions or behaviors. By allowing individuals to reflect on these negative outcomes, the individual will become more motivated to change.
The second goal is for the individual to make a commitment to change. Through asking individuals about strategies they would be willing to try, they can start making concrete steps for change. These results can be printed out and reviewed at the end of the course with a counselor or probation officer. Or they can be used for self-reflection.
In addition to incorporating this evidence-based practice in all of our courses, we also offer a training on Motivational Interviewing for counselors, probation officers, or anyone else who is interested in using it in on-one-on conversations.
The purpose of this training is to show how Motivational Interviewing can be used to talk to individuals about behavior change.
To learn about additional evidence-based strategies used in 3rd Millennium courses, explore our other articles covering key approaches such as addressing risk perception, giving personalized feedback, correcting normative perceptions, challenging expectancies, reflection and evaluation, identifying triggers, building behavior and skills training, and recognizing protective behaviors to support meaningful change.
To get started with our courses today, visit 3rdmil.com or contact us at (888) 810-7990. We offer solutions for high schools, colleges, and courts.
Resources:
Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 35. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 1999.
