false
OasisLMS
zh-CN,en,fr,de,ja,es
Catalog
Using Motivational Interviewing to Discuss Substan ...
Video
Video
Back to course
[Please upgrade your browser to play this video content]
Video Transcription
Video Summary
Dr. Brian Barsari, a psychologist and researcher at the San Francisco VA and UCSF, delivers an in-depth webinar on motivational interviewing (MI), focusing on its application in discussing substance use with patients, especially those ambivalent or resistant to change. MI is presented as a collaborative, empathetic, and client-centered approach designed to evoke intrinsic motivation for behavior change without confrontation. Barsari highlights the "MI spirit," emphasizing partnership, empathy, acceptance, and respect for patient autonomy.<br /><br />Central to MI are therapist skills—open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries (OARS)—which facilitate client engagement and exploration of ambivalence. Reflections, particularly complex ones that capture unspoken feelings or contradictions, are underscored as vital for progressing sessions. Affirmations recognize clients’ strengths and past successes, fostering self-efficacy, while summaries help focus the conversation and transition between topics.<br /><br />Barsari distinguishes between change talk—client language favoring change—and sustain talk—language favoring the status quo—explaining that therapists should evoke and reinforce change talk while respectfully acknowledging but not reinforcing sustain talk. Discord, or tension in the therapeutic relationship often stemming from poor engagement or focusing, should be promptly addressed.<br /><br />He stresses the importance of engagement (building a trusting relationship with active listening and an uncluttered mind) and focusing (clarifying the target behavior for change) as foundational tasks in MI. Through a training video example, Barsari illustrates applying these skills with a mandated client resistant to treatment, demonstrating how careful listening and strategic reflections build rapport and focus conversation.<br /><br />Barsari concludes by addressing common challenges: working with denying clients, handling affirmations effectively, managing discord, and ensuring informed consent. He advocates for clear communication about treatment parameters and patient responsibility to optimize MI’s effectiveness in promoting healthier behaviors.
Keywords
Motivational Interviewing
MI spirit
Substance use
Psychologist Dr. Brian Barsari
San Francisco VA
UCSF
OARS skills
Change talk
Sustain talk
Therapeutic engagement
Patient autonomy
Behavior change
×