Motivational Interviewing

Feeling Two Ways About Change

Mixed feelings about change are a normal part of being human. You might want to set firmer boundaries with a relative and also dread the conflict it could bring. You might want a steadier routine while still valuing the freedom of an unstructured day. Holding both sides at once is often called ambivalence.

Ambivalence is not a sign of weakness or a lack of willpower. In motivational interviewing, it is treated as a natural starting point. Exploring both sides openly, without pressure, can make it easier to see what you want and why it matters.

The Spirit Behind Motivational Interviewing

MI is often described less as a set of techniques and more as a way of being with someone. Its spirit rests on a few core ideas:

• 01Partnership: you and your clinician work side by side, and your knowledge of your own life is respected.
• 02Acceptance: your perspective, your choices and your right to decide are honored.
• 03Compassion: the conversation is guided by genuine care for your well-being.
• 04Drawing out your own motivation: the focus is on your ideas and strengths rather than someone else’s plan for you.

What the Conversation Can Sound Like

A clinician using MI tends to ask open questions, reflect back what they hear and summarize the threads of the conversation. They may affirm the strengths and efforts you describe, and when you talk about why a change matters, they may invite you to say more.

You might be asked what a change could make possible, what has worked for you before or how important a goal feels right now. Hearing your own reasons out loud, in your own words, can carry more meaning than advice from someone else. Decisions about whether, when and how to change remain yours.

When Motivational Interviewing Can Be Useful

In general, MI can be useful when a change feels important but hard to start or sustain. That might involve building healthier routines, following through on a personal goal, communicating differently in a relationship or adjusting during life transitions such as a move, a new role or the end of a familiar chapter.

It can also be helpful when someone feels pushed by others to change. Making space for your own perspective, instead of debating who is right, can ease defensiveness and open room for honest reflection.

How MI Fits With Other Approaches

Motivational interviewing shares the deep respect for the client found in person-centered counseling, while gently guiding the conversation toward a particular change. In Nicole Reagan’s bio, it appears alongside CBT, solution-focused approaches, supportive counseling and strengths-based interventions.

Because each clinician brings a different background, you are welcome to ask how a particular clinician works. The Our Team page introduces Infinity’s therapists, and individual counseling is one setting where this kind of conversation can take place.