Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a set of counseling techniques that deal with the counselor’s work with clients to promote behavioral change. Motivational interviewing (MI), first described in 1983, was initially used in brief therapy related to problem drinking. Since this time, MI has been used for numerous health care issues related to behavioral change such as increasing exercise, lowering food intake, increasing medication intake, and decreasing drug use. The theoretical underpinnings of MI are outlined in William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick’s seminal work, Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People for Change. This entry examines the development of MI and the spirit in which MI is carried out. This entry also outlines four general and four guiding principles of MI.