OPEN PDF TO VIEW & READ: ‘Are You Affirming‘ [Paul Burke’s M.I. TIP of the Week #1727]
INTRO COVER LETTER: Greetings MI Folk – from beautiful Toronto, Ontario.
As I write this today, I am having lunch in the Business Lounge at Pearson International in Toronto. I have some time to invest before my flight back to Victoria a bit later – so I dug out my copy of the BRAND-NEW MI SKILLS MANUAL by David Rosengren and started in on it by doing some reading about his take on the role of affirmation in MI conversations.
David’s new manual is TERRIFIC! It is a revised/2nd edition of the “Building Motivational Interviewing Skills: A Workbook for Practitioners”! If you’re serious about developing and polishing some of the core MI skills that were outlined in one of my workshops, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this new manual. It’s one of the most useful post-workshop training aids that I know of. (You can have it shipped to your door if you order online and you can get it straight from the publisher – Guildford Press at https://www.guilford.com/search-products/building+motivational. David has some very important things to say about the role of affirmation in MI work, and he outlines some very important rationale for why affirming client strength, capacity, competency and positive values is an essential (albeit often overlooked) element of MI work.
It was interesting to read how he confirms my experience as a trainer – that making affirmations is the least practiced of the five core MI skills (Open-Ended Questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries and Giving Information/Suggestions/Advice). So, this week’s T.I.P. focuses on Affirmation. The fact that you are willing to open it and read it shows me that you are serious about furthering your skill in MI and that you value investing a little time in professional development. That will always serve you well.