How can MI applications help clients overcome anxiety about change?
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Change can be scary, especially when it involves your health, habits, or relationships. You may feel anxious, resistant, or ambivalent about making a positive change in your life. That's why motivational interviewing (MI) can be a helpful tool to guide you through the process of change. MI is a collaborative, client-centered, and goal-oriented approach that helps you explore and resolve your ambivalence, enhance your motivation, and build your confidence. In this article, you will learn how MI applications can help you overcome anxiety about change in different settings and situations.
MI is based on four principles: expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy. MI uses open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries to elicit your own reasons and values for change, rather than imposing external pressure or advice. MI also helps you identify and overcome the barriers and challenges that may prevent you from changing. By using MI, you can increase your readiness, willingness, and ability to change, and reduce your anxiety and defensiveness.
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Debra Atkisson, MD, PCC
Divisional Medical Director @ Connections Wellness Group | Treatment, Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Professional Certified Coach, Leadership Development.
Motivational interviewing uses active listening principles to help an individual achieve clarity about what they want to accomplish. Engaging with a thought partner assists you in identifying your why. Your ability to set a plan in place is strengthened in this process.
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Dewana Coffey, RN
Registered Nurse | Hope/Burnout/Addiction/Guilt/Shame | Posts for Creative Nurses Who Want to Shape Their Future.
Motivational Interviewing uses the Socratic Method of asking open ended questions to get to the root of truth. The interviewer hopes the other person can learn why they believe what they believe and why. Socrates believed that in order to learn about the truth you had to ask yourself direct questions about why you believe the way you do. This is still true today. MI asks another person questions about what they believe to be true and why they believe it to be true. This is done in order to help the person establish what is true to them so they can examine their assumptions closer. Once a person is clear about their beliefs, they go on to ask whether their beliefs are hurting or helping them. This can lead to lasting change.
MI has been widely used in health care settings to help people change their health behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, eating, exercising, or managing chronic conditions. MI can help you recognize the benefits and risks of your current and desired behaviors, and how they align with your personal goals and preferences. MI can also help you develop a realistic and achievable plan of action, and support you in implementing and maintaining it. MI can help you cope with the stress and emotions that may arise during the change process, and celebrate your successes and learn from your setbacks.
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Dr. Twanna Carter, PCC
Career Coach empowering Black women to conquer impostor syndrome, find peace of mind & excel in their career | 20+ Years of Transformative Career Coaching |US Army Veteran 🔺1913 | As seen on New York Post
A source of anxiety is often our lack of ability to control our environment. Change is all about disrupting the environment as we know it. So it makes sense that change causes stress and anxiety. Motivational interviewing is great tool to help us recognize where and why we are feeling out of control. The open questioning technique can help us ponder change and plan for unknowns we may not have thought about before.
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Dewana Coffey, RN
Registered Nurse | Hope/Burnout/Addiction/Guilt/Shame | Posts for Creative Nurses Who Want to Shape Their Future.
People that want to change but have been unable to do so are often fighting with their own mistaken beliefs. Answering open ended questions makes you use your own reasoning. Instead of defending your beliefs you are able to question whether they are true at all. After asking why you believe the way you do and then seeing that it is hurting your health you may be more open minded to changing than if someone just told you why you were wrong.
MI can also help you improve your interpersonal relationships, such as with your partner, family, friends, or coworkers. MI can help you communicate more effectively, listen more actively, and express more empathy and respect. MI can also help you resolve conflicts, negotiate differences, and collaborate on solutions. MI can help you explore and understand your own and others' perspectives, needs, and feelings, and how they affect your behavior and interactions. MI can help you enhance your trust, intimacy, and satisfaction in your relationships.
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Stephanie Rios MS LMHC-QS
Owner and Licensed Mental Health Counselor at SMR Mental Health Counseling LLC
MI emphasizes active listening, which is important for building relationships. It also encourages empathy as it pushes you to be in the other's shoes. When one genuinely understand the other's point of view and feelings, it fosters connection and trust in the relationship.
MI can also help you advance your career, whether you want to pursue a new opportunity, improve your performance, or cope with a challenge. MI can help you identify and clarify your strengths, interests, and values, and how they relate to your career goals and choices. MI can also help you assess and develop your skills, knowledge, and competencies, and seek feedback and support. MI can help you overcome the fears and doubts that may hold you back from taking action, and boost your confidence and motivation. MI can help you navigate the transitions and changes that may occur in your career path.
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Ken Hopkins
Orion Wealth Management LLC.
This tool can be used as if you just completed an actual job interview and afterwards asked the interviewer why you weren't offered the job. Specifically, what can be improved upon to increase your chances of landing the job. I believe this will allow you to better present yourself before the actual interview.
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MI can also help you grow personally, by helping you discover and pursue your passions, hobbies, and aspirations. MI can help you explore and expand your horizons, and try new things that may enrich your life. MI can also help you cope with the challenges and changes that may occur in your personal life, such as moving, losing a loved one, or facing a crisis. MI can help you find meaning and purpose in your life, and align your actions with your values and beliefs. MI can help you achieve your full potential and happiness.
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Dewana Coffey, RN
Registered Nurse | Hope/Burnout/Addiction/Guilt/Shame | Posts for Creative Nurses Who Want to Shape Their Future.
Socrates was famous for having conversations with people about what they believed to be true. Asking and answering questions to get to the real truth is called using the Socratic Method. Motivational Interviewing does the same thing by helping you establish what you believe to be personally true. This grounds your thoughts and actions in truth rather than wishful thinking. Critically thinking about the reasons why you believe what you believe allows you to question whether what you believe really is true or just something you were told growing up. MI drills down to expose you to a better understanding about why, how and what is underneath your beliefs, norms, traditions, thoughts and motivations.
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If you are interested in learning and practicing MI, there are several resources and opportunities available. You can read books, articles, or websites that explain the principles and techniques of MI, and provide examples and exercises. You can also watch videos, podcasts, or webinars that demonstrate and discuss MI in different contexts and scenarios. You can also attend workshops, courses, or trainings that teach and practice MI skills, and provide feedback and supervision. You can also join a network, community, or group of MI practitioners, who can share their experiences, insights, and tips. MI is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice and reflection.
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Claudio Scaramelli
Health Coach | I empower people to overcome stress and thrive on change
I've found that blending MI with technology significantly enhances its effectiveness. Beyond traditional methods, incorporating AI tools can offer personalized training, guidance and ongoing support. These tools can be used to create dummy case studies, test our knowledge and then cross-check with the AI our approach. But we could also analyze client data to tailor MI techniques to their unique needs, fostering a deeper, more impactful client-coach relationship. Leveraging technology in MI not only aids in skill development and in gaining confidence with methodologies and strategies, but also in delivering transformative health coaching experiences.