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Motivational Interviewing: as Easy as It Looks?
1Independent Consultant, Becket Family of Services, PMB 210, 190 US Route 1, Falmouth, ME, 04105, USA. davidprescottvt@gmail.com.
Current Psychiatry Reports
|May 29, 2020
Summary
Motivational interviewing (MI) can enhance therapeutic practice for individuals who have experienced sexual abuse. This approach helps practitioners develop key skills like empathy and directiveness, improving client engagement and treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Therapeutic Interventions
Background:
- Effective practitioners working with individuals who have experienced sexual abuse are characterized by warmth, empathy, and a directive approach.
- Implementing these characteristics can be challenging in clinical settings.
- While motivational interviewing (MI) is well-documented for general behavior change, its application in treating sexual abuse is under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the utility of motivational interviewing (MI) for practitioners working with individuals who have experienced sexual abuse.
- To bridge the gap in understanding MI's specific application in this population.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on motivational interviewing principles and their application in clinical practice.
- Analysis of existing research on effective therapeutic characteristics for clients with histories of sexual abuse.
Main Results:
- Motivational interviewing is effective for a broad range of behavioral changes and treatment engagement.
- MI can help practitioners cultivate essential qualities like warmth, empathy, and directiveness.
- The approach can facilitate client involvement in available treatment services.
Conclusions:
- Motivational interviewing offers a valuable framework for practitioners supporting individuals who have experienced sexual abuse.
- MI can directly benefit clients and aid professionals in developing crucial therapeutic attributes.
- Further rigorous examination of MI in sexual aggression treatment is warranted.
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