In this issue we will be extending on our exploration of Scaling Questions introduced last newsletter. These questions can be powerful invitations for our clients to connect more clearly to why change matters to them and where they are in the change process. So here’s a wrinkle: what happens when our clients share with us that change is NOT that important to them? Read on to explore some ideas of what MI might encourage us to do (and NOT do!) when this challenging scenario presents.

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Regular readers will be following the thread of discussions on the Evoking process of Motivational Interviewing over the past few newsletters. In this editorial I am going to be featuring a style of open questioning featuring ‘change rulers’ which can be powerful invitations for our clients to connect more clearly to why change matters to them and where they are in the change process.

These questions, also referred to as Scaling Questions, are particularly oriented towards evoking from the client their own perspective on the importance of change and their confidence for making change. They can be powerful questions for evoking more change talk from the client. They can also serve as excellent indicators of where the client is at in their change process to enable us to ‘dance in sync’ with their stage of change.

To read more download away!

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What a challenge this common conundrum is – when a client insists that you ‘just tell me what to do!’. When it comes to engaging in a sound Evoking process – this is a surefire derailment.

Given the evidence is clear about the unhelpfulness of advising ambivalent clients, how do we skilfully reply?

In this issue we will be spending some time exploring how Motivational Interviewing may encourage us to respond to this request in a manner most likely to open a more fruitful discussion for our client’s benefit.

Read on to colour in some context to this question, learn about when giving information is good work and what we might do when it is NOT such good work.

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February’s Issue 36 introduced the concept of ‘change language’ and the first steps in working with this important aspect of dialogue with clients. Readers were encouraged to start by simply identifying Change Talk in their client’s speech and to simply reflect it and ask for elaboration. This vital aspect of client perspective is at the core of the third process of Motivational Interviewing: Evoking. In this issue we will be exploring more about getting Change Talk alive and kicking in session. It is so obvious it seems too simple……..just ASK FOR IT!

If you are feeling stuck with a client who is clinging to the status quo in their dialogue with you – it may prove fruitful to have a look at what you are asking for.

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In January’s Issue 35 we explored the Righting Reflex – the part of us that wants ‘good things’ for our client and the paradoxical impact this desire may have on promoting unhelpful behaviours for our ambivalent clients.

We can manage our Righting Reflex by many skillful means. One such means is being able to attend to the ‘change language’ of our client. In this issue we are going to take a toe dip into what we mean by change language to equip you with some starting points if you are practising implementing MI into your counselling skill repertoire. Read on for more…

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This editorial will be picking up the thread from Issue 33 in October which was the last newsletter to be exploring Focusing – the second process in Motivational Interviewing.

Once you have found a useful direction for a session with a client, what follows next? I am going to be exploring how things can quickly derail from this point, even though we have the very best intentions. In fact, maybe because of our best intentions! Puzzled? Read on for more.

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This issue is our last for 2016. Keeping with tradition of 2014 & 2015 this edition collates a synopsis of the year’s issues with handy links to each issue’s full editorial and completes with a CPD Quiz. You can buy the quiz to test your knowledge and for APDs – convert your dedicated reading of Practice Pavestones into assessed CPD hours for your APD renewal…..just around the corner.

But I have some sad news folks…………..this will be the last year that the CPD Quiz will be published for subscribers unless there is a big increase in uptake. Do you have APD mates who are struggling to fill their assessed CPD hours for 2016? At $9.95 the 2016 Pavestones Quiz would have to be the most affordable assessed CPD on the market – not to mention fun, useful and super practical.

Please support Pavestones by sending on to APD colleagues who may be looking for great value assessed self-study in this vital area of clinical practice.

Read on to get a great summary of the years content and link to the Quiz…

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This is the last issue exploring the second process in Motivational Interviewing: Focusing. I will be presenting two different styles for finding a meaningful session direction with your client…..and a soundtrack featuring a canine friend who just can’t seem to find one! You can play with some focusing templates available as downloads in the editorial. What’s your Focusing style? Tick a Box or Free Fall? or something unique to you?

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In any modality of behaviour change counselling we need a direction, something to focus on with our client in order to be producitve. What is particularly emphasised in Motivational Interviewing is the HOW and the WHY of finding a focus.

In the HOW, MI encourages that it is very important that we find direction collaboratively with the client. Asking the client what matters to them and what they would appreciate help with is central to demonstrating the spirit of Motivational Interviewing.

The HOW of Focusing may sound pretty straight forward. Something has brought your client into your office and so we may assume they have something they want to focus on with us. Well, as they say: ‘It ain’t necessarily so!’.

Last week I received a fabulous question from a subscriber which brought a possible Focusing challenge to life. With her permission I will share her question here:

Could you please direct me to a past issue of Pavestones that might look at how to move forward with client who says they are ‘doing everything but not getting results’ but who I suspect isn’t [doing everything]?

Great question!

How on earth do we stay along side our client and find something to work on when they present as ‘all good’ and we have well founded concerns things are not going so well? Read on to find out more.

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Once we have joined with our client in a strong engagement it’s time to do something directional. This issue we are going to be exploring how to shift gears from the process of Engagement to the process of Focusing without crunching the gear box and bunny hopping through a session.

Download this issue to found out what the clutch sounds like and for a few more cheesy metaphors!

Download Issue 31