Paul Burke Training Group
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Beyond training: Looking at learning MI in a whole new light!
Thoughts on Improved Practice (TIP) #1704
In MI-3, (2013) Drs. Miller and Rollnick provide three potential definitions of MI. Determining which of these makes most sense to you might depend on whether you are a practitioner, a layperson, or a student of change. In addition to the official three, I’ve been so bold as to include my own, fourth possible definition. It’s one I sometimes use in training. How would you define this “thing” that you’re learning?
The Layperson’s Definition
MI is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a
person’s own motivation and commitment to change.
The Practitioner’s Definition
MI is a person-centered counselling style for addressing the
common problem of ambivalence about change,
The Technical Definition:
MI Is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with
particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to
strengthen personal motivation for, and commitment to, a specific
goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change
within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.
Paul’s Definition
MI is a strategic way of communicating with people that helps
them to become more curious about their reasons, hopes, desires
and needs for making specified changes in the way they live. It
involves several disciplines of communication that serve to help
the client to hear and to think through their thinking about various
pros and cons of pursuing the targeted change. Ultimately, MI
helps clients reach conclusions that result in their planning for a
specific change.
