University AOD Support Intervention: Motivational Interviewing Report

This report examines AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) support interventions, specifically focusing on motivational interviewing. It details the application of motivational interviewing in counselling individuals misusing alcohol and drugs, emphasizing its client-centered approach and the goal of motivating behaviour change. The report outlines the four key processes of motivational interviewing: engaging with the client, guiding them towards targeted behaviours, evoking intrinsic motivation, and planning for change. It highlights the importance of empathy and support in encouraging clients to accept treatment goals, contrasting this with more aggressive confrontation methods. The report references key studies and provides a comprehensive overview of how motivational interviewing can be a beneficial activity to bring change in drug abuse person, making clients aware about the potential harm of drugs and impact of negative behaviours.

Running head: AOD SUPPORT INTERVENTION
AOD support intervention
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

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Motivational interviewing according to AOD support intervention:
Alcohol & other drug (AOD) brief interventions are confidential process of
counselling done with individuals who are misusing alcohol and other drugs in their life.
Motivational interviewing method is employed for such individuals to understand the level of
harm of alcohol or drugs on their health and motivate them to bring changes in their life to
minimise the harmful effects of drugs and alcohols (Tucker et al., 2017). Such method of
counselling acts as strong support system for people negative affected by alcohol and drug
misuse.
AOD interventions are the most efficacious interventions where the main motive is to
gain contextual information of patient such as client needs, social environment in which they
live and type of drugs used. Such information is collected from clients by different methods
like contingency management, cognitive behavioural therapy, narrative therapy, solution
based therapy and motivating interviewing. The major purpose of motivational interviewing
is to make clients aware about potential harm of drugs and impact of negative behaviours on
patients (Arkowitz, Miller, & Rollnick, 2015). Hence, the client centred style of interaction
in motivational interviewing supports client to explore the ambivalent views about drug and
alcohol use and make positive changes in their lives. Making clients aware about the drug
poses in their life is critical for their recovery because many people do even realised that their
health problems is related to use of drugs and alcohol.
The motivational interviewing is a beneficial activity to bring change in drug abuse
person. This method of counselling style is based on the assumption that ambivalence of an
individual regarding substance is normal and this ambivalence can be addressed by
addressing the inner motivation and values of clients. Such inner values are exploited by
entering into collaborative partnership with client during the interview the process (Elwyn et

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al., 2014). Counsellors act as supporters in the counselling process and encourage clients to
accept and make changes in life. Four fundamental process occurs in motivational interview
to bring change in client:
 Engaging with client- This process involved listening with empathy about the client
perspective abut health issues and understanding the main reasons for ambivalence in
clients
 Guiding client to targeted behaviour: Based on first process, the counsellor helps
client to identify problem area and make them clear about target behaviour or goals
needed to address the problem
 Evoking intrinsic motivation of client: The most crucial step in motivational
interviewing is to engage in effective talk to identify client’s reasons for changes and
motivate them to adapt the new process of change
 Planning the bridge to change: The final process is strengthening the commitment of
client to reinforce positive changes in their life by strategic moves, action planning
and rehabilitation process (Magill et al., 2014).
Therefore, the person centred style of guiding strengthens the client motive to adapt
positive practices and behaviour in life and eliminate use of alcohol or drugs. Aggressive
method of confronting problem makes patients defensive, however the empathetic and
supportive approach used in motivational interviewing encourages client to accept the
treatment goals.

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Reference
Arkowitz, H., Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (Eds.). (2015). Motivational interviewing in the
treatment of psychological problems. Guilford Publications.
Magill, M., Gaume, J., Apodaca, T. R., Walthers, J., Mastroleo, N. R., Borsari, B., &
Longabaugh, R. (2014). The technical hypothesis of motivational interviewing: A
meta-analysis of MI’s key causal model.
Tucker, J. S., D'Amico, E. J., Ewing, B. A., Miles, J. N., & Pedersen, E. R. (2017). A group-
based motivational interviewing brief intervention to reduce substance use and sexual
risk behavior among homeless young adults. Journal of Substance Abuse
Treatment, 76, 20-27. Elwyn, G., Dehlendorf, C., Epstein, R. M., Marrin, K., White,
J., & Frosch, D. L. (2014). Shared decision making and motivational interviewing:
achieving patient-centered care across the spectrum of health care problems. The
Annals of Family Medicine, 12(3), 270-275.