Motivational Therapy / Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based therapy that increases your motivation to quit using drugs or alcohol. It works by removing doubts about rehab and sobriety while also building up your confidence and desire to change.
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Motivational Interviewing uses questions to understand your thinking, asks clarifying questions to make you think about all the different parts of your position, and moves you toward deciding you want to make small changes. All of this comes down to 4 techniques that help someone sustain the motivation to pursue their sobriety:
Reflections or reflective listening means summarizing what someone has said, either as a question or statement. It’s a way for a therapist to make sure they understand both what you said and what you meant after you’ve answered something. Reflections can also encourage you to evaluate your thoughts and feelings in a way you hadn’t considered before.
Client: I don’t know why my wife is worried about this. I don’t drink any more than my friends.
Therapist: So your wife is worrying needlessly? [1]
Client: I can smoke weed and be a good father.
Therapist: It seems like you believe that you’d interact with your daughter the exact same way whether you were using marijuana or not.
Client: Maybe not the exact same…
Therapist: What do you think would be different?
Client: Well weed messes with your memory. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember things.
Therapist: The idea of not remembering seems like it troubles you. What are you afraid of forgetting?
Client: Just special moments with her I guess.
Therapist: Forgetting those is a scary thought.
Therapists praise positive progress, change, or actions in therapy. Sometimes it’s difficult for people recovering from addiction to see or acknowledge their own successes. Affirmation lets them know someone sees them succeeding and opens the door for them to admit it as well.
At the end of a topic or session therapists might make sure they and the client “are on the same page” by summarizing what they talked about and what they decided forward progress would be before the next session. It’s a way to prepare to move forward.
Therapist: It seems like you want to be more present with your daughter. You seemed concerned about forgetting any special moments, and said you wanted to try not using marijuana the next time she’s around, right?
MI believes that anyone struggling with substance abuse would choose to be sober if they thought the pros of doing so outweighed the cons. MI helps resolve this internal battle over whether to quit or remain sober by moving people through the 5 stages of change [1].
Stage 1. Pre-contemplation: They are most resistant to change at this point. They do not intend to change, don’t think they need to change, or they might have tried and failed already and are trying to avoid thinking about change.
Stage 2. Contemplation: They are starting to think about changing. They are willing to admit they might have a problem and that there would be benefits to changing but are also aware of the costs
Stage 3. Preparation / Determination: They have decided to take action and are preparing for the change (buying a book, seeing a doctor, making calls to treatment).
Stage 4. Action: They try to deal with their problem by changing their life.
Stage 5. Maintenance: They try to maintain the changes they’ve made.
At Tree House Recovery we believe that everyone wants to get better and that change takes time, patience, and direction. We can help you realize your infinite potential and value. Call us to get started: (855) 202-2138
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