Assessing alcohol problems using motivational interviewing

de Linda C. Sobell

Demonstration of and dicussion on cognitive-behavioral motivational interviewing techniques for assessing a patient's alcohol use. Motivational interviewing is a client-centered, directive method for eliciting intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving a person's amvivalence to change using open-ended questions, reflective listening, and decisional balancing. This nonjudgmental , nonconfrontational interviewing style is designed to minimize a patient's resistance. The goal is to construct an interaction with patients so they feel comfortable discussing their risky or problem behavior.