Advanced Motivational Interviewing: Client Characteristics Report

This report delves into the practice of motivational interviewing (MI), a psychotherapeutic approach designed to motivate individuals toward positive behavioral changes, particularly in addressing addiction and other psychological challenges. The report explores the integration of MI within counseling models, emphasizing its person-centered approach and core techniques such as active listening and summarization. It examines the impact of MI across various demographics, including gender, highlighting the need for tailored approaches. The report also discusses the application of MI in educational settings and its effectiveness in addressing cultural and diversity issues, particularly among minority groups. It emphasizes MI's goal-oriented nature and its capacity to leverage intrinsic motivation, ultimately assisting individuals in adapting to changes associated with age and other life transitions. Despite its effectiveness, the report notes that the practice of MI is underutilized, particularly in culturally diverse contexts. The report concludes by underscoring the value of MI as a versatile tool for promoting positive change and adaptation across diverse populations.

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Motivational Interviewing:
The process of motivational interviewing is a recent development of the field of
psychology. It is a psychotherapeutic approach, which help the people to move on from the
current state. It is often found that the people are indecisive, therefore, the aim of this particular
psychotherapeutic approach is to move the individuals from uncertainty towards a more decisive
lifestyle and motivate them to make positive decision on their own. As had been mentioned
before, this particular psychotherapeutic approach is rather a new development in the industry,
and had been developed in order treat addiction form the minds of the people. During the 20th
century this method had become very common and very popular (Arkowitz, Miller, & Rollnick,
2015). The therapist aims at motivating the individuals towards more positive behaviors, by
enlisting certain reasons and by involving the person to explore his or her feelings, including the
ambivalence towards change and thus help the client to find his or her own motivation. However,
the success and popularity of the method the psychologists and the therapists had aimed at
involving this method in a lot of ways and for other purposes.
Therefore, in the following report impacts and use of the method considering the age,
gender, culture, and sexual orientation will be analyzed.
Body:
Motivational Interviewing:
According to the researchers the motivational interviewing approach is now integrated
into the counseling models and it is completely person centered, based on the counselling
principles and approaches. It includes approaches of active listening, being open for questions,
affirming and confirming positions, and summarization. The researchers are of the opinion that

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motivation is essential and the core for the changes of the behavior, and the multidimensional
approach, help the individuals or the clients to get motivated, and creates within them a value
structure (Miller, & Rose, 2015).
Gender Based Motivational Interviewing:
According to a recent study conducted by a group of therapists upon physically
aggressive college dating couples, it is seen that the motivational interviewing had been very
effective and helpful for the couple, but at the same time it was also understood that both of
them, were approached in different ways. The researchers had opined that it was important to
approach the different genders differently. The impact of the interviewing process was similar
and there was a reduction in the physical violence approach in both the cases but, while the male
had to be asked a lot of questions, the female counter part did not need to be asked that many
questions, and in case of the female, most of the questions were kept open ended (Syzdek et al.,
2014). But in case of the male, all the questions were not kept open ended. However, the
hierarchical model of the interview had showed that the approach and the behavior of the
therapist had been quite similar with both of the genders. Upon the counselling, the researchers
had opined that the process was successful for both the genders, however, certain very nominal
and small changes in the behavior has to be made for the success of the process (Woodin,
Sotskova, & O’Leary, 2013).
Occupation Based Motivational Interviewing:
Another set of researchers had opined that the process of motivational interview is very
helpful to approach the training sessions. In an educational institution, there had been a training
workshop for the teachers where the Motivational Interviewing process had been incorporated
and the researchers were of the opinion that only after two sessions, there had been certain

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change in the behavior, in the post training process than the pre training process. The changes
had become at a very small level, but the important part of the process that the method was
successful and the results were very quick (Shannon, 2015). However, the researchers had
mentioned that two aspects are every important motivational interviewing. First is, development
of a questionnaire. The clients had to be asked the right questions in order to understand the
factors that can trigger them the most. The second most important aspect is the activities that the
clients must be involved into. According to the researchers, the clients must be involved into
certain activities, since physical activities motivate better (Motivational Interviewing Network of
Trainers, 2014). Therefore, the researchers had concluded that the motivational interviewing
approach has an occupation based approach as well.
Culture and Motivational Interviewing:
One of the most important approach and the most effective contribution of the
motivational interviewing is to, deal with culture and diversity. It is often observed that being the
culturally minor, impacts or effects the human minds in a severe way, for example, it is often
found in United States that the Black people or the Hispanics are more likely to develop a mental
illness than the regular American man, and it is observed that instead of applying for highest
form of care, the individuals are more likely to go for non- permanent treatments, and thereupon
questioning the methods. It is often found that the Hispanics have disagreed and disregarded the
process and the methods of the psychotherapist instructors. Therefore, according to the
researchers, the motivational interviewing process is more useful and effective to treat the mental
illnesses related to cultural diversity (Oh, & Lee, 2016). According to the researchers, since the
motivational interviewing approach is more goal oriented and person centered therefore, it is
more effective on the people. The motivational interviewing process helps a person to express

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and explore his or her own feelings therefore, the motivational interviewing process leverages a
person’s intrinsic motivational aspects (Lee et al., 2015). More importantly, the Motivational
Interviewing process helps in retaining the impacts of the motivation process.
The motivational interviewing process also helps the individuals in adapting to the
changes that are associated with the changing age structure. The changes in the age structure, and
the age disparity within the workplace impacts upon the mental health of an individual, and the
motivational interviewing helps in the process of adaptation to these changes (Velasque et al.,
2015).
Conclusion:
Therefore, the above discussion helps in understanding the effectiveness and the impact
of the motivational interviewing process and the success of the same as a psychotherapeutic
approach. However, the wide acceptance of the process and the success of the same, there are
very few application of the practice. It is one of the most useful tool for cultural adaptation,
though it is the least practiced evidence based research approach or method.

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References:
Arkowitz, H., Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (Eds.). (2015). Motivational interviewing in the
treatment of psychological problems. Guilford Publications.
Lee, C. S., López, S. R., Colby, S. M., Rohsenow, D., Hernández, L., Borrelli, B., & Caetano, R.
(2013). Culturally adapted motivational interviewing for Latino heavy drinkers: Results
from a randomized clinical trial. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 12(4), 356-373.
Miller, W. R., & Rose, G. S. (2015). Motivational interviewing and decisional balance:
contrasting responses to client ambivalence. Behavioural and cognitive
psychotherapy, 43(2), 129-141.
Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. (2014). Motivational interviewing training new
trainers manual. Motivational Interviewing Resources for Trainers: Motivational
Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).
Oh, H., & Lee, C. (2016). Culture and motivational interviewing. Patient education and
counseling, 99(11), 1914.
Shannon, R. J. (2015). Motivational interviewing: Enhancing patient motivation for behavior
change. In International Handbook of Occupational Therapy Interventions (pp. 885-894).
Springer, Cham.
Syzdek, M. R., Addis, M. E., Green, J. D., Whorley, M. R., & Berger, J. L. (2014). A pilot trial
of gender-based motivational interviewing for help-seeking and internalizing symptoms
in men. Psychology of men & masculinity, 15(1), 90.

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Velasquez, M. M., Crouch, C., Stephens, N. S., & DiClemente, C. C. (2015). Group treatment
for substance abuse: A stages-of-change therapy manual. Guilford Publications.
Woodin, E. M., Sotskova, A., & O’Leary, K. D. (2013). Intimate partner violence assessment in
an historical context: Divergent approaches and opportunities for progress. Sex
Roles, 69(3-4), 120-130.