What is Motivational Interviewing (MI)?
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, client-centered approach in psychotherapy designed to strengthen your own motivation and commitment to change. MI is widely used to support people working through anxiety, depression, addiction, and life transitions. Rather than forcing you toward a goal, MI helps you explore your ambivalence and discover your own reasons for change. Motivational Interviewing is not its own model, but rather a set of principles and tactics almost any therapist can use to help you along on your journey.
Many people feel stuck between wanting to change and fearing the process. MI is designed to create a safe space where you can explore both sides of your ambivalence without pressure or judgment. Your therapist walks alongside you, offering gentle guidance to help you connect with your goals and values.
Why People Choose Motivational Interviewing in Therapy
Many people searching for “therapy for anxiety,” “psychotherapy for addiction,” or “support to make life changes” find MI especially helpful because:
– It respects your pace and your readiness for change.
– It treats you as the expert in your own life.
– It focuses on collaboration, not pressure.
– It builds sustainable, meaningful motivation.
If you’re struggling to decide whether to make a change, MI helps you explore the pros and cons in a safe, supportive space. You might have tried change before and felt discouraged. MI offers a new approach that honors your unique journey and gives you space to find your own voice in the process.
Motivational Interviewing for Anxiety and Depression
When dealing with anxiety or depression, you might feel stuck between wanting things to change and fearing the effort or uncertainty that change might bring. MI provides:
– Compassionate, non-judgmental conversation.
– Space to examine your fears and hopes.
– Gentle guidance to clarify your values and goals.
Motivational Interviewing helps you take small, manageable steps toward growth. You don’t have to make decisions immediately. Your therapist works with you to uncover what you genuinely want, and together you move at a pace that feels comfortable and achievable.
The Core Principles of Motivational Interviewing
The “Spirit of MI” is grounded in four key principles:
1. Change is self-change.
2. You are the expert on yourself.
3. Motivation is evoked, not installed.
4. Therapy is a dance, not a wrestling match.
Your therapist’s role is to accompany you, not to push you. This allows you to explore your internal conflicts about change in a safe, empowering way. MI is most effective when it honors your readiness, your autonomy, and your pace. The focus remains on your story, your challenges, and your values.
The Four Phases of Motivational Interviewing
- Engaging: Building trust and connection so you feel heard and respected. Your therapist prioritizes creating a space where you can safely explore your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment.2. Focusing: Clarifying what goals truly matter to you. This phase helps you identify what feels most important in your life right now, whether that’s reducing anxiety, addressing addiction, or improving relationships.3. Evoking: Exploring your own motivations and hearing your “change talk.” Your therapist will ask thoughtful questions and help you uncover your own reasons for wanting to move forward.4. Planning: Developing a realistic, achievable plan—when you feel ready. The therapist supports you in setting manageable steps and building confidence in your ability to succeed.
Motivational Interviewing Techniques Therapists Use
Some practical MI techniques include:
– Open-ended questions: Giving you space to reflect and share what is truly on your mind.
– Reflective listening: Helping you hear your own thoughts more clearly as the therapist reflects your words back to you.
– Affirmations: Focusing on your effort, intentions, and values rather than just the outcome.
– Summaries: Helping you track patterns, clarify priorities, and see your progress over time.
– Scaling questions: Measuring your readiness, confidence, and importance of change using simple 1-10 scales.
– Elicit-Provide-Elicit: A process where the therapist asks for your thoughts, offers information, and then checks how it fits with your perspective.
These techniques empower you to take ownership of your growth and build confidence in your ability to create meaningful change.
How Motivational Interviewing Helps You Explore Change
In MI, you and your therapist might explore the “decisional balance,” which includes:
– Advantages of not changing.
– Disadvantages of not changing.
– Advantages of changing.
– Disadvantages of changing.
Sitting with these questions helps you carefully weigh your options and choose a path that aligns with your values. Sometimes, your therapist might help you revisit past successes or positive experiences to strengthen your confidence. You may also explore what support systems or resources you already have available to help you along the way.
Motivational Interviewing Builds Lasting Motivation
Unlike pressure-based approaches, MI helps you build internal motivation that lasts. Your therapist will:
– Honor your ambivalence.
– Support your autonomy.
– Help you explore options without prescribing solutions.
This approach can be particularly powerful for people searching for help with addiction, anxiety, life changes, or self-confidence. By building motivation from within, MI helps you make changes that feel authentic, sustainable, and consistent with your core values.
Many people report that they feel more empowered and less overwhelmed when working with a therapist trained in MI. Instead of being told what to do, you are invited to discover what works best for you.
The Bottom Line: Motivational Interviewing is About You
Ultimately, Motivational Interviewing is about your life, your pace, and your goals. It’s not about quick fixes or someone telling you what to do. It’s about creating a space where you can explore your readiness for change and build a life that feels meaningful to you.
If you’ve been searching for “therapy near me,” “how can I feel motivated to change,” or “psychotherapy for anxiety,” MI may be the gentle, supportive process that helps you move forward. If you are considering therapy and want to work with someone who will respect your journey, MI can be a helpful and empowering approach that fits well with most clinicians’ therapeutic styles. It could be the start of a transformative, values-driven path toward the life you truly want.
Written by: Daniel Stillwell, Ph.D., LMFT
Daniel Stillwell (he/him) is the Clinical Director and a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) at the South Asheville branch of Matone Counseling. He has an LMFT in North Carolina and is a nationally credentialed (AAMFT) MFT supervisor. After receiving his masters in MFT from Louisville Seminary, he went on to earn a PhD in Family Therapy from Saint Louis University. He has practiced on and off since 2008, spending several years also as a professor of MFT for different universities. His passions for client care and organizational leadership are a great match for Matone Counseling and he has been delighted to be a part of the team since 2019.
