Welcome to my Motivational Interviewing books and resources blog. Everything from my old resource page is here, along with all my book reviews. Use the tags or search box to find what you’re looking for. Check back often to see what’s new.
The new third edition of the classic Miller and Rollnick text Motivational Interviewing retains the readability and clinical grounding of prior editions, while presenting a much more comprehensive framework for understanding MI.
Readability and accessibility to diverse audiences begins with presentation of not one, but three, definitions of MI – each applicable to a specific purpose. Clinical relevance is enhanced by a new framework that emphasizes a set of four processes in the course of MI, and deeper consideration of ethical issues in MI and even MI in “equipoise” or when the emphasis of the intervention is on making a decision, rather influence toward a particular course of action.
I was skeptical at first of a reformulation that jettisoned the old familiar principles of MI, but was won over by the new four processes of MI. To me, the processes were instantly recognizable and quite helpful as a clinical roadmap and teaching/supervision tool. I have to admit, I’m still not sure what to make of MI in equipoise, but that may be a function of my own experience in addiction treatment and health-related behavior intervention. Let me know what you think.
The clinical practice of MI as outlined in the third edition is essentially the same as in the prior edition; only the explanatory constructs have changed. So there is no need to regret a recent purchase of the second edition! But, if you haven’t read any of the core MI texts yet, or want to be familiar with the most up-to-date ideas in MI, this is the place to start.
Learn more about the 3rd edition of Motivational Interviewing at Amazon.com
Tags: essentials
The inaugural issue of Motivational Interviewing: Training, Research, Implementation, Practice (MITRIP; the journal of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers) is now available online. An open-access, “author-friendly” journal, MITRIP accepts submissions of all kinds related to motivational interviewing (MI) practice, training, implementation, and research: qualitative as well as quantitative studies, case presentations, descriptions of innovations in MI practice or training, and theoretical or conceptual articles, as well as informal contributions related to the activities of MINT members worldwide. Submissions are invited from any author, regardless of affiliation, who wishes to contribute to the ongoing conversation about MI.
Motivational Interviewing: Training, Research, Implementation, Practice.
Tags: free, implementation, journal, MI, practice, research, theory, training, website
At last, a book about group applications of MI that takes into account the unique qualities of group treatment! This book fills an important gap in the substance abuse and MI literature – a book about group treatment for substance abuse that is firmly grounded in empirically-supported treatment approaches, and a book about MI that is firmly grounded in principles of group psychotherapy. There are some excellent group resources out there already (just click on “groups” in the tag cloud to find a sampling) but this is the first that I am aware of that blends MI and group treatment principles, rather than import MI content into a psychoeducational group format.
The authors provide a detailed overview of their own Guided Self-Change treatment, which they describe as a “Motivational Cognitive-Behavioral intervention,” including the rationale, evidence base, session structure, and guide for group implementation. Ample clinical vignettes, assessments, group leader materials, and participant handouts make for a very clinician-friendly presentation.
Tags: addiction, CBT, groups, MI, treatment, treatment manual
The 2012 Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) Training of New Trainers (TNT) will be held from September 10 – 12, 2012 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. And I’m going to be an assistant trainer! I’m really looking forward to what promises to be a unique opportunity.
Applications will be accepted beginning on March 19. The TNT is for experienced MI practitioners who want to become trainers. A recorded work sample will be required as part of the application. Application forms and instructions may be found at www.motivationalinterviewing.org. Good luck and I hope to see you there!
This latest entry in the “Applications of Motivational Interviewing” series edited by Miller and Rollnick is the first guide to MI written by and for social workers. The author places her very readable overview of MI spirit and skills thoroughly within the context of social work principles and practice. Subsequent chapters, some written by contributing authors, focus on each MI principle as applied in practice, covering a wide range of settings and client populations. Innovative applications are discussed in substance abuse treatment, mental health, child welfare, school social work, community organizing, and other areas. Detailed clinical vignettes bring the concepts vividly to life.
Learn more about Motivational Interviewing in Social Work Practice at Amazon.com
Tags: addiction, adolescents, children, community, groups, mental health, school, social work
This new guide (published in 2012) is a companion to Motivating Offenders to Change: A Guide for Probation and Parole. Whereas the earlier guide detailed the application of MI in correctional settings, this guide focuses on implementation issues. After a very brief overview of MI, more detailed chapters cover how MI is learned, supervising and coaching to support implementation, assessing MI skills, and organization-level planning to develop MI skills in a correctional setting. The guide is very readable and appears to provide enough information to assist experienced agency leaders in identifying and working through relevant issues in successful implementation of MI.
NICIC.gov: Motivational Interviewing in Corrections: A Comprehensive Guide to Implementing MI in Corrections (free – PDF download).
Tags: assessment, corrections, free, implementation, supervision, training
This isn’t directly related to MI, but it is a fascinating look at how habits are formed and changed, and how companies use that information to market their products to you.
Tags: business, CBT, habit change, habit formation, marketing, news, popular media
Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) are best practice guidelines for the treatment of substance abuse, provided as a service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). This TIP, published in 2006, was written to help clinicians address the expansion of intensive outpatient treatment represented by the development and adoption of new approaches to treat a wider variety of clients.
Grounded in evidence-based practice, the TIP describes the core services every program should offer, the enhanced services that should be available on site or through links with community-based services, and the process of assessment, placement, and treatment planning that helps clinicians address each client’s needs. Based on research and clinical experience, the consensus panel discusses major clinical challenges and surveys the most common treatment approaches used in intensive outpatient programs. More specialized sections address treatment of specific groups of clients.
Most pertinent to readers interested in Motivational Interviewing are chapters on building on existing motivation and employing MI in treatment. The section on employing MI in treatment realistically addresses a number of strengths and challenges faced when bringing MI into typical IOP practice.
Substance Abuse: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment – NCBI Bookshelf. (free – online)
Tags: addiction, evidence-based practice, free, intensive outpatient treatment, treatment
The 2012 MINT Training of New Trainers (TNT) will be held from September 10 – 12, 2012 in Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA). A call for applications will officially open in mid-March, 2012. At that time a link will be provided where those who are interested can submit their applications online. In the meantime, here’s some information to help prospective applicants get ready. Please be aware that the TNT workshop is designed to help skilled MI practitioners enhance their MI training skills, and expects applicants to demonstrate their skillfulness in delivering the clinical method of MI.
Guidance for Applying to the 2012 Training of New Trainers is Now Available via What’s New? | MINT.
The authors’ stated goal of this book is to provide the experienced practitioner with a guide to having a productive conversation about behavior change with adolescents and young adults using the spirit and skills of MI. They note that the normal developmental processes of adolescence regularly affect the young person’s motivations, decisions, and goals, and present a basic introduction to MI as applied in the context of those developmental processes. They also discuss ethical concerns specific to MI with young people, and provide a selection of starting points for “learning to learn” MI independently or with a peer learning group. Overall, the book is geared toward newcomers to MI.
Within the past decade, research on Motivational Interviewing with adolescents and young adults has “blossomed,” according to the authors, and an edited selection of “side trips” comprising about half the volume presents a clinically-oriented overview of the findings. Each chapter in this section of the book focuses on a particular problem (e.g., smoking) or setting (e.g., criminal justice), and includes subsections detailing the scope of the problem, the rationale for MI, application of MI spirit and strategies, and research implications.
Learn more about Motivational Interviewing with Adolescents and Young Adults at Amazon.com
Tags: addiction, adolescents, corrections, criminal justice, eating disorders, ethics, families, groups, health care, medical settings, mental health, schools, smoking, training, young adults