Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is a client-centred, goal-oriented therapeutic approach that helps individuals explore and resolve ambivalence about change. This method is particularly effective for those struggling with addiction, health behaviour changes, or any situation where motivation to change is challenging. The focus of Motivational Interviewing is to enhance your intrinsic motivation by helping you identify your personal reasons for making positive changes.
What is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational Interviewing is grounded in the idea that each person has the capacity for change within them, but sometimes it’s difficult to overcome ambivalence. This therapy helps you explore conflicting feelings and discover your internal motivation to make lasting changes. It’s especially beneficial in areas such as substance misuse, health-related behaviour, or other lifestyle changes.
By fostering a non-judgemental, supportive environment, Motivational Interviewing empowers you to take charge of your change process. The therapist helps guide you towards understanding your own motivations, creating an action plan to make meaningful progress.
For more information on how Motivational Interviewing is used in addiction therapy, see this resource from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
How Motivational Interviewing Works
In Motivational Interviewing, we focus on collaboration, rather than confrontation, to help you navigate ambivalence. Through open-ended questions, reflective listening, and empathetic understanding, the therapy helps you explore your own motivations and values. Together, we identify what changes you want to make and how you can achieve them.
Key elements include:
- Collaboration: We work together to explore your concerns and goals.
- Evocation: Rather than directing, I help you draw out your own reasons for change.
- Autonomy: The focus is on your ability to make decisions and take ownership of the process.
Benefits of Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is particularly effective for individuals who feel stuck or unsure about making changes in their lives. By helping you clarify your goals and understand the barriers to change, this approach can increase motivation and promote long-term positive behaviour. Whether you’re dealing with addiction, lifestyle changes, or other challenges, Motivational Interviewing provides the tools to strengthen your commitment to change.
Why Choose Restorative Counselling for Motivational Interviewing?
At Restorative Counselling, I offer Motivational Interviewing to help you tap into your inner motivation and create sustainable, positive changes in your life. My approach is supportive, collaborative, and empowering, giving you the space to explore your ambivalence and take steps towards achieving your goals.
If you’re ready to explore how Motivational Interviewing can help you make meaningful changes, contact me today to learn more. Let’s work together to unlock your potential and achieve lasting transformation.
FAQs
Counselling works best when you recognise that you’re struggling and can no longer continue as you are, and you want to make changes in your life but don’t know how. Sometimes, it may feel almost impossible to know what these changes should be. Often, the insights that arise are created during sessions through deep discussions and are developed between sessions.
Counselling can be challenging, as it may bring old memories, feelings, and past hurts to the surface. However, sharing these thoughts and feelings will give you a clearer understanding of why they still cause you pain, an ability to reduce that pain, and even help you find healing from those experiences.
I offer a Humanistic Integrative approach in a person-centred way. This means that we focus on you as an individual, working with your agenda, allowing you to explore those difficult memories and feelings. I use a combination of approaches to suit your individual needs because I believe one size does not fit all. We are all unique.
This is entirely up to you and something we can discuss during our initial consultation. Sometimes, starting with six sessions can be beneficial, and during these sessions, we can review whether you would like to continue or terminate them. Short-term counselling can be helpful during an immediate crisis to support you through it.
Long-term counselling allows for a deeper exploration of your problems, helping you understand how they affect you and where they stem from. We can start with weekly sessions and later move to fortnightly or every three weeks, depending on the situation and what would benefit you. Remember, this is your decision. At the end, we can have a final review and look at ways to help you move forward in your life, making the transition as safe and comfortable as possible.
Often, you will know when your counselling is nearing its end. You will feel more confident and at peace within yourself, and the memories will not cause you as much pain. You will be able to reflect on them in a way that no longer distresses you. We will discuss how you would like to conclude the counselling process.
We can have a final review a few weeks after counselling ends to see how you have been coping and how you’ve incorporated these changes into your daily life.
I currently charge £50 per session. I also offer concessions for those in need and will try to match your income, as I understand that affording regular counselling can be challenging.
For students studying for their Diploma or another qualification who need hours towards their personal counselling, I also offer a concession if needed.
Your first appointment may seem daunting, but it’s an opportunity for us to meet and get to know each other. We can then discuss how we can best work together and how I may be able to help you.
I also offer a free 20-minute phone call to briefly discuss the therapy and how we can begin.
