Description of the Strategy

Most forms of cognitive behavior therapy presuppose an adequate level of client motivation for change. They are characteristically directive and prescriptive, recommending particular changes in client behavior and cognition, and often involving homework assignments for the client to carry out between sessions. As with many other therapies, adherence to treatment prescriptions is a significant problem in cognitive behavior therapy, particularly with certain populations and target problems.

Motivational interviewing (MI) was predicated on the assumption that many people with current behavior problems are at best ambivalent about changing them, even when entering treatment. If this is so, then it would not be surprising that directive prescriptions for behavior change are met with fluctuating compliance. MI was designed to address ambivalence ...