#60 Dr. William Miller on Motivational Interviewing: A Powerful Therapy for Mental Health and Physical Health

Dr. William R. Miller is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, with over forty years of experience in teaching. Dr. Miller is a researcher and developer of the therapeutic model Motivational Interviewing. His many books include Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change and Quantum Change: When Epiphanies and Sudden Insights Transform Ordinary Lives. Dr. Miller's latest book, Listening Well: The Art of Empathic Understanding, was released in January 2019.

Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative conversation that strengthens a person's own motivation for and commitment to change. It is a client-centered therapy that addresses the common problem of uncertainty around change. It focuses on exploring and working through ambivalence and centers on motivational processes within the individual that help to process the change. This method differs from more externally-driven methods for motivating change as it does not impose change. Rather, Motivational Interviewing supports change in a way that is congruent with the personal own values and concerns. Having conflicted feeling about behavior change is considered a normal part of the change process. Motivational Interviewing is an interpersonal style, not at all restricted to formal counseling settings. It is a subtle balance of directive and client-centered components shaped by a guiding philosophy and understanding of what triggers change.

Rereleased from Therapy Show Podcast Episode #12

TherapyShow.com/Motivational-Interviewing

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for getting help from a mental health professional.