Motivational Interviewing (MI) Techniques: Empathy and Client Engagement

Angela-Wood
Southeastern Louisiana University

Key Points

  1. Engagement is a continuous and essential process in every session of motivational interviewing, vital for maintaining a therapeutic relationship.
  2. Demonstrating both affective and cognitive empathy is crucial to ensure clients feel understood and validated without challenging their perceptions initially.
  3. Striking a balance between asking open-ended questions and reflective listening helps avoid the assessment trap, ensuring the client does not feel interrogated.
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Engagement, as the first task in motivational interviewing, is crucial in initial meetings and every interaction with a client. This process is vital for establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship, regardless of the session number.

Continuous Engagement      

Engagement is a continuous effort and as vital in subsequent meetings as in the first. It's essential to approach each session with a mindset to re-engage the client.

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