A Motivational Interview

A Motivational Interview 
Mary is a 27-year-old mother who is currently struggling with alcohol addiction. Social work services have taken custody of her 3-year-old daughter after she turned up at the local nursery to collect Kylie while significantly drunk. Mary has demonstrated ambivalence concerning her ability to control her alcohol use. She has also referred herself to a local counseling agency after her PCP, and a social worker suggested the same. Motivational interviewing is a counseling approach suited for individuals like Mary who require motivation to change their ambivalent behaviors. The therapy treatment was first described in 1983 by the Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, Dr. William R. Miller. He treated motivation to change as an interpersonal process and not a personality trait. That is, motivation can be imparted and fostered (Cooper, 2013). Motivational interviewing is focused on helping the patient adopt the right mindset to solve their issues for themselves rather than the therapist trying to impose solutions.
I might use the principles of motivational interviewing with Mary by first expressing my sympathy for her alcohol use: the ability to imagine and experience what Mary is going through is critical to understanding the underlying factors contributing to her addiction. I will begin by building rapport with Mary by assuming a non-judgmental and even-tempered attitude and demeanor throughout the interviews. Listening to her talk about her issues and employing reflective thinking skills will be essential to acquiring a deeper and broader understanding of Mary's perspective and feelings. In addition to expressing my sympathy, I will also seek to develop a discrepancy in Mary. I will guide her to think about the various ways her current alcohol use problem might impact her future goals of being a responsible parent. I will aim to encourage her to evaluate how her drinking impacts her other areas of life, including her social roles as an employee, partner, or friend. Developing discrepancy is critical to helping the patient identify the pros and cons of controlling her alcohol use.
Given Mary's ambivalence regarding her ability to manage her alcohol use, it is likely that she will initially resist any efforts at change. I will be accommodative of this initial resistance and endeavor to help the patient see her substance abuse issue from a different perspective. While the decision to change is always up to Mary, helping the patient see her alcohol dependence from the perspective of a mother is likely to help her accept that she needs to change. I will also employ the principle of self-efficacy to impart motivation: I will guide Mary...