Two-day Children in Wales course

Motivational Interviewing is a refined guidance communication style originating in the counselling field. It aims to guide clients in the process of changing many types of unhealthy behaviours including drugs and alcohol use, health behaviours like smoking, eating, sexual behaviour, adherence to medication and offending behaviour. MI strategies avoid confrontational methods, because the aim is to get the client to be the one who presents the arguments for change.

Central to MI techniques are a number of person-centred counselling skills including, open-ended questions, reflective listening, affirmations and summarising. However, while person-centred counselling is mostly non-directive, in MI these skills are used in a directive way aimed at encouraging clients to explore their ambivalence and consider change. These skills are used selectively to reinforce change talk and encourage clients to verbalise the advantages of change and then plan for it.

Find out more and book via the Children in Wales website.