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Monthly Archives: April 2009

Is Motivational Interviewing an Approache to be Used with Clients?

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Nick Roy
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Motivational interviewing is a technique I believe would be useful with some clients.  According to Rollnick and Miller it is useful with clients who are exhibiting ambivalence.  That is, they are indecisive in determining their behavior choices, or unwilling to examine them.  This style of counseling directs the conversations with the client to help uncover reasons to embrace behaviors or avoid behaviors.  This technique could be useful with those suffering from addiction and even abusers, because motivational interviewing “relies upon identifying and mobilizing the client’s intrinsic values and goals to stimulate behavior change” (Rollnick & Miller, 1995). The counselor is helping the client pull information from their life to explain their behaviors from a personal perspective rather than explaining it to them and suggesting change from a clinical perspective alone.  Jenkins explains this difference well when comparing collaboration versus confrontation, evocation versus education, and autonomy versus authority (Jenkins, 2003).  The Four Guiding Principles Jenkins provides were very enlightening and his through explanations of how to talk with ambivalent clients really opened my eyes in some respects.

 It does seem like a very pain-staking process when you read all of the data, but very sound and intelligent.  I really don’t see it as useful with children as the client needs to understand intrinsic thoughts and values in order to benefit.  I think it always important for a counselor to not present themselves in a condescending manner to their clients and use whatever technique what be most useful for each individual’s situation. 

References

Rollnick S., & Miller, W.R. (1995).  What is motivational interviewing?  Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23, 325-334. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from http://motivationalinterview.org/clinical/whatismi.html.

Jenkins, David, (2003). Working with addictive disorders: a motivational interviewing perspective. Paper presented at the 2003 AACC World Conference, Nashville, TN.

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Categories: Theories of Counseling | Tags: counseling, motivational interviewing

Making the Case for Premarital Education

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Nick Roy
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The Holy Spirit guides, teaches, convicts, and heals God’s children. A Christian counselor needs to be attuned to the Holy Spirit in order to assist in God’s work through the counseling sessions. In order to be able to allow the Holy Spirit to move the counselor should have attributes of a competent Christian counselor. These attributes were defined by Bufford (1997) in Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002). One such attribute is for the counselor to be skilled in “spiritual interventions and resources” (Clinton and Ohlschlager, 2002). In order to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit the counselor should have an intimate relationship with the Lord and to seek His wisdom. The Lord says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). The Holy Spirit can reveal itself through scripture, other people, in prayer or events. This is why it is important to be able to discern the “voice” that is speaking. Spending time in prayer, reading and studying the Word, and consulting with other Christians on the Word supply the counselor with the resources and skills that will assist with the helping relationship. The Lord says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psalms 32:8, NIV).

 

References

 

Bufford, R. (1997). Consecrated Counseling: Reflection on the Distinctives of Christian counseling. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 25(1), 111-122.

Clinton, T. & Ohlschlager, G. (2002). Competent Christian counseling (Vol. 1). Colorado Springs, CO: Water Brook Press.

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Categories: Theories of Counseling
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