Motivational Interviewing Techniques Flashcards

A recovery coach notices they are giving lots of unsolicited advice and solutions. This pattern is known in MI as:

Answer: The righting reflex

The righting reflex is the natural helper impulse to fix problems by advising, directing, or persuading—which MI trains coaches to manage.

In MI group settings with people in recovery, a key adaptation is to:

Answer: Reinforce change talk from members and redirect sustain talk to avoid contagion

In MI groups, coaches strategically amplify change talk and gently redirect sustain talk to prevent one member's resistance from spreading.

Which of the following reflects a 'focusing' goal in an MI session?

Answer: Agreeing on a specific direction or topic for the conversation

Focusing is the MI process of collaboratively narrowing the conversation to a clear and meaningful agenda for change.

An 'affirmation' in MI is most powerful when it:

Answer: Highlights a specific strength, value, or effort demonstrated by the client

Effective affirmations in MI are genuine, specific, and focus on the client's character or actions rather than general praise.

What is 'sustain talk' in MI?

Answer: Language that favors maintaining the status quo and not changing

Sustain talk is the client's own speech that argues for not changing, the counterpart to change talk.

When using the 'elicit-provide-elicit' strategy in MI, the coach first elicits because:

Answer: It ensures information provided is relevant and welcomed by the client

Asking first what the client already knows and wants to know ensures information sharing is tailored, relevant, and received with less resistance.

A client in recovery states, 'I've decided I'm going to stop using for good this time.' This is best identified as:

Answer: Commitment change talk

Commitment language ('I've decided,' 'I will,' 'I'm going to') is the strongest form of mobilizing change talk indicating readiness to act.