The Development and Essence of Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing (MI) was developed by Dr. Bill Miller through close observation and practice. During a sabbatical in Norway, Dr. Miller worked with clinicians and found that arranging conversations so that clients made their own arguments for change, rather than being told what to do, had a significant impact. This person-centered approach challenged the authoritarian style of addiction counseling prevalent at the time. The focus on listening to clients and eliciting change talk became instrumental in the emergence of MI. Dr. Miller teamed up with Steve Rollnick to write the first edition of the book on motivational interviewing. MI emphasizes building a strong therapeutic relationship, evoking change talk, and managing sustain talk to address clients' ambivalence.