"All of us have areas in our life where we recognize that maybe what we're doing isn't exactly how we want to live," says Murray State Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Michael Bordieri. Talking about change can be tricky and helping motivate or encouraging change in others can be difficult, but there are effective ways to motivate change in others. Dr. Bordieri speaks with Kate Lochte on Sounds Good about motivational interviewing, and how listening can be an effective intervention.
When we're presented with a strong position we often tend to argue the other side of it, causing us to bring out resistance or a defensive stance, one that doesn't effectively predict later change, Dr. Bordieri says. Instincts or natural ways of encouraging people to change might not be effective, but there are some places to start. Bill Miller and colleagues at the University of New Mexico developed a technique 30 years ago looking at motivational interviewing - helping people make changes in their life that matter. It started as a treatment for alcoholism, as substance abuse is one of the hardest things we have to treat, Dr. Bordieri says.
Intervention is a common technique seen on television, but confrontation rarely predicts good outcomes for helping people move forward, he says. Instead, the key is to build a technique around changing the quality of conversation. People who are the subject of an intervention may feel as though they're not being heard or understood because they're different. And fundamentally, he says, when you're asking someone to change it can imply that you don't necessarily accept them for who they are, which can lead to a breakdown in communication.
Motivational listening is helping by listening and understanding their position and helping them generate their own reasons for changing. For example, open the conversation with "it's a pretty big commitment being here, what brings you in?" The key is in saying less and listening more, asking questions about how it might be causing problems in their own life and helping them explore the ambiguity and ambivalence. Dr. Bordieri says it's not about offering information, but accurately and genuinely listening. The "punchline" is within that person's own hands. That's the point, he says. It's not about "okay now you have to do it," it's about creating space and having that conversation without judgments about "you have to do this" or "that's a lot of drinks you're having, you should be cutting back," but instead "is that a problem for you?" or "it sounds like you're worried, tell me more."
Often, he says, there is no second conversation. This method is a brief intervention and is increasingly being used in settings like a primary care physician. 15 to 30 minutes with a medical provider can be all that is needed. Remember, it's not about confrontation, but helping them explore their own ambivalence. -- Dr. Micahel Bordieri is an assistant professor of psychology at Murray State University and a clinical supervisor at the MSU Psychological Center, which is staffed by graduate students in clinical psychology providing therapy and assessment services under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologists. The center is open to all. Call for summer hours at 270-809-2504.
Our next discussion with Dr. Borideri will be June 30.
