Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Motivational Enhancement Therapy is a brief intervention that focuses on exploring a client's intrinsic motivation for change, overcoming resistance or ambivalence, and helping them to develop and pursue goals for their behaviour change. Although it's suitable for working with people from diverse backgrounds and individuals with trauma, it is not a trauma therapy and does not attempt to do any trauma processing work.
Drawing on Prochaska and DiClement’s Transtheoretical Model of Change (Prochaska & DiClimente, 1992; Prochaska & DiClimente, 1984), Motivational Enhancement Therapy focuses on increasing a client’s intrinsic motivation for change by raising awareness of a problem, adjusting any self-defeating thoughts regarding the problem, and increasing confidence in one’s ability to change (Good Therapy, 2018).
Learn More
To learn more about Prochaska and DiClement’s Transtheoretical Model of Change, please watch Transtheoretical Model and Stages of Change (Examples).
This approach does not attempt to guide the client stepwise through the recovery process but instead, employs motivational strategies to evoke shifts that are client directed. Motivational interviewing principles (Miller & Rollnick, 2013) are used throughout the process to strengthen motivation and build a plan for change. As the sessions progress, the health professional monitors change, reviews cessation strategies being used, and continues to encourage commitment to change. Motivational Enhancement Therapy utilizes a client-centered lens which makes it an appropriate fit for working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, however, it’s important that this is done with consideration to Justice, Equity, Dignity, and Inclusion, Cultural Safety and Humility, and Trauma- and Violence- Informed Care.
The Numinus Perspective
Motivational Enhancement Therapy is being employed in psychedelic-assisted therapy protocols focused on treating addictive disorders at Numinus. We use psilocybin combined with Motivational Enhancement Therapy in the treatment of substance use disorders and psilocybin in combination with a Psychological Flexibility Model-based framework to treat depression.
References
Good Therapy (2018). Motivational enhancement therapy. https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/motivational-enhancement-therapy
Miller W.R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (3rd Ed.). Guilford Press.
Prochaska, J. L., & DiClimente, C. C. (1992). Stages of change in the modification of problem behavior. In M. Hersen, R. Eisler, & P. M. Miller (Eds.). Progress in Behavior Modification. Sycamore Publishing; 1992.
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClimente, C. C. (1984). The transtheoretical approach: Crossing traditional boundaries of therapy. Dow Jones.