At Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire, we offer you or your loved one various therapeutic approaches because frankly, each person responds differently to treatment. The goal is to improve success with techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and others that help each person advance in ways most suitable for them. Another progressive method is motivational interviewing. Here’s how it works. 

What Is Motivational Interviewing? 

First developed in the 1980s by William R. Miller, a psychology and psychiatry professor now retired from the University of New Mexico, motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice used to encourage behavioral changes. It’s rooted in the principles of humanistic psychology, particularly Carl Rogers’ client-centered therapy, which emphasizes empathy, unconditional positive regard, and active listening. 

Miller noticed that traditional confrontational techniques often led to resistance and defensiveness in clients. “MI is an alternative to the usual approach of educating clients and trying to persuade them to change. Simply advising clients to change is usually ineffective and can even entrench the status quo,” Miller has said. “MI has been found to be useful in helping people change across a broad array of problems in counseling and psychotherapy, health care, coaching, social work, and education.”

Excellence in Motivational Interviewing explains that Miller and clinical psychologist Stephen Rollnick define MI this way, which we provide verbatim:

• MI is a guiding style of communication that sits between following (good listening) and directing (giving information and advice).

• It’s designed to empower people to change by drawing out their own meaning, importance, and capacity for change.

• The process is based on a respectful and curious way of being with people that facilitates the natural process of change and honors client autonomy.

MI is a technique that many therapists use to help people strengthen their motivation and commitment. It’s been studied in more than 1,000 controlled clinical trials over 40 years, primarily with individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). It’s also an essential component in mutual aid programs such as SMART Recovery.

How Motivational Interviewing Improves Your Recovery Mindset

One of the main challenges in recovery is ambivalence—the mixed feelings people have about change. Many individuals who struggle with AUD or SUD acknowledge the negative consequences of their behavior but are still uncertain or unwilling to make changes. This ambivalence often manifests as resistance, procrastination, or an inability to take the first steps toward a substance-free life.

MI helps individuals work through this ambivalence in a non-confrontational, supportive manner. The process respects your autonomy and acknowledges that the decision to change ultimately lies with you. The therapist’s role is to support and guide you rather than impose solutions, using key techniques such as: 

• Open-ended questions. These encourage deeper reflection and conversation by prompting someone to explore their thoughts and feelings beyond simple yes/no answers.
• Reflective listening. A therapist shows understanding and empathy by paraphrasing or restating a person’s words, helping them hear their own emotions and thoughts more clearly.
• Affirmations. The intention here is to reinforce someone’s strengths and efforts with positive statements to build confidence and motivation for change.
• Summarizing. An MI therapist then concisely restates essential points of the conversation to help a person reflect on their progress and maintain focus on their goals.

Another particularly effective application in MI is the “decisional balance” exercise: an individual is encouraged to weigh the pros and cons of their current behaviors compared to the benefits of changing to reach their long-term goals. This approach supports their recovery because they develop a clearer picture of what’s holding them back and shows them why they have the power to make progressive changes. 

This video demonstrates just one example of how motivational interviewing might work for you. 

Discover More Solutions at Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire 

By fostering a collaborative and empathetic relationship, our board-certified medical professionals find that motivational interviewing helps you or someone you love explore and resolve their hesitation toward change, ultimately empowering them to make healthier, long-lasting decisions.  

Our primary mission at Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire is to deliver high-quality, evidence-based treatment. We have three locations to serve you: 

• The Antrim House in Antrim, a detoxification and residential treatment facility for men and women.
• Recovery Mountain in Tilton, a residence for Veterans and first responders as part of outpatient programming.
• The Lakes Addiction Treatment Center in Laconia offers inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient rehabilitation programs for men and women. 

Ask a member of our admission team for more information about our successful relapse prevention strategies.