Talking To Change - A Motivational Interviewing Podcast Ep 80 – Motivational Interviewing & Behaviourism
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Jun 24, 2024 
Dr. James Anderson, Chief of Psychiatry, discusses behaviorism and Motivational Interviewing. Topics include compassion, applying behavioral concepts to change, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and integrating MI with radical behaviorism for patient language structuring.
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Behaviorism Illustrated with Children
- James illustrates behaviorism with a child touching a hot stove and getting burned, reducing future touching behavior.
- He contrasts this with a child eating tasty pizza, reinforcing and increasing that eating behavior.
Radical Behaviorism Fuels Compassion
- Radical behaviorism sees human behavior shaped by lifelong environmental consequences, creating predictable behavior patterns.
- Motivational interviewing uses this to foster compassion and selectively reinforce positive behaviors.
Behaviorism Inspires Empathy
- Radical behaviorism, though seen as cold, underpins empathy by explaining behaviors through past experiences.
- This helps practitioners offer acceptance without judgment, fostering self-compassion and hope for change.
Glenn and Sebastian welcomed Dr James Anderson to the podcast to discuss MI and behaviourism. James is a psychologist and Chief of Psychiatry at Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, NY. James is interested in the integration of behavioral health into primary care and improving the ability of our healthcare systems to provide whole-person care. He has special interest in helping people struggling with addiction, and has published work on integrating accessible and effective treatment for opioid use disorder into primary care settings. James takes a technically eclectic approach to offering psychotherapy intervention to patients in need, including use of cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and of course, motivational interviewing. Theoretically, James views the human condition from a radical behaviorist viewpoint, and contrary to the common view of such an approach as encouraging a mechanistic and cold world view, sees behaviourism as underlying a philosophy of acceptance and tolerance of others.