Motivational Interviewing (MI) in Riverside, CA
When Part of You Wants to Change—and Another Part Isn't Ready
Human beings are complicated.
You can want something and resist it at exactly the same time.
You may want to leave an unhealthy relationship while missing the person. Want to improve your health while struggling to change your habits.
Want to reduce a behavior while still relying on it to cope. Want a new career while fearing what you might lose. Want therapy while wondering whether you really need it.
This experience is called ambivalence, and it is a normal part of change.
Motivational Interviewing, commonly known as MI, is a collaborative counseling approach designed to help people explore mixed feelings about change, identify their own reasons for moving forward, and strengthen motivation in a way that respects autonomy.
At Lifepath Center, therapists may incorporate Motivational Interviewing into individualized treatment when clients feel uncertain, stuck, conflicted, or unsure whether they are ready to make a change.
What Is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational Interviewing was developed by psychologists William Miller and Stephen Rollnick.
MI is based on the idea that people are often more likely to make meaningful changes when they identify their own reasons for changing rather than simply being told what they should do.
The therapist does not act like an authority lecturing the client.
Instead, the therapist helps the client examine:
What they want
What they are concerned about
What matters to them
What makes change difficult
What staying the same may cost
What change might make possible
How confident they feel
What next step they may be willing to consider
MI respects that the decision ultimately belongs to the client.
Why Telling Someone What to Do Often Doesn't Work
Imagine someone says:
"You need to leave that job."
Your immediate response may be:
"But you don't understand. I need the income."
Someone says:
"You should stop doing that."
You think:
"It's not that simple."
When people feel pushed, they often begin defending the opposite position.
Motivational Interviewing attempts to reduce that dynamic.
Instead of arguing for change, the therapist creates space for the client to articulate both sides.
Ambivalence Is Not the Same as Being Unmotivated
People often describe themselves as unmotivated when they are actually conflicted.
A person may simultaneously think:
"This relationship is hurting me."
and:
"I don't want to lose them."
or:
"I want things to be different."
and:
"I'm afraid I won't succeed."
Both statements can be true.
MI treats ambivalence as something to explore rather than something to criticize.
The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing
MI is commonly described through a therapeutic stance involving:
Partnership
Acceptance
Compassion
Evocation
Partnership
Therapy is collaborative rather than authoritarian.
Acceptance
The client's autonomy, worth, and perspective are respected.
Compassion
The therapist works in the client's best interest rather than trying to control the client's choices.
Evocation
Rather than inserting motivation into someone, MI attempts to draw out motivation that may already exist.
Change Talk
A central concept in Motivational Interviewing is change talk.
Change talk refers to statements suggesting desire, ability, reasons, need, or commitment related to change.
Examples include:
"I don't want to keep living like this."
"I've changed before."
"My relationships would probably improve."
"I think I'm ready to do something different."
The therapist may help clients notice and expand these statements.
This can strengthen clarity and confidence.
Sustain Talk
Clients also express sustain talk—reasons for maintaining the current behavior or situation.
Examples might include:
"This is how I cope."
"Changing would be too hard."
"I'm not sure it's really a problem."
"What if I fail?"
MI does not attack or argue against sustain talk.
Instead, the therapist may explore it with curiosity.
Understanding why the current pattern remains appealing or protective is often essential to meaningful change.
What Is the Righting Reflex?
People who care about someone often want to fix the problem.
This is sometimes called the righting reflex.
If someone says:
"I don't know if I should leave this relationship."
our instinct may be:
"Of course you should leave."
But advice can sometimes increase resistance.
Motivational Interviewing encourages therapists to resist immediately correcting or directing and instead help clients clarify their own reasons and values.
What Can Motivational Interviewing Help With?
MI techniques may be incorporated when addressing:
Difficulty making changes
Ambivalence
Habit change
Treatment engagement
Health-related behavior
Substance-related concerns
Relationship decisions
Career decisions
Parenting changes
Therapy participation
Medication adherence discussions within appropriate professional roles
Exercise and wellness behavior
Avoidance
Goal-setting
Lifestyle changes
Difficulty following through
MI is often integrated into a broader therapeutic approach rather than used as the only intervention throughout treatment.
Motivational Interviewing and Anxiety
Anxiety can create ambivalence.
You may know avoidance is limiting your life while also feeling safer when you avoid.
MI can help explore:
What does avoidance protect you from?
What does it cost you?
What would become possible if fear had less influence over your choices?
This can help clients develop their own reasons for approaching difficult situations.
MI and Relationships
People often seek therapy while uncertain about what they want from a relationship.
They may ask:
"Should I stay or leave?"
A therapist should not simply make that decision for the client.
Motivational Interviewing can help explore values, hopes, concerns, fears, consequences, and priorities so the client can make a more intentional decision.
MI and Behavior Change
Changing habits can be difficult because behavior usually serves some function.
Even a behavior someone wants to stop may provide:
Relief
Comfort
Distraction
Connection
Escape
Predictability
Temporary reduction in anxiety
MI helps clients understand both the benefits and costs of the current behavior.
Change becomes more realistic when we understand what the behavior has been doing for us.
Readiness for Change
People are not always at the same stage of readiness.
Someone may be:
Not considering change
Thinking about change
Preparing for change
Actively changing
Maintaining change
Returning to old patterns and reconsidering what comes next
MI can meet people where they actually are rather than demanding they be more ready than they currently feel.
Confidence Matters
Wanting change and believing you can accomplish it are two different things.
A therapist may ask:
"On a scale from 0 to 10, how important is this change to you?"
and separately:
"How confident are you that you could make this change?"
A person may say:
Importance: 9
Confidence: 3
That difference is clinically useful.
Therapy can then focus less on convincing the person the change matters and more on strengthening confidence and identifying barriers.
What Happens During Motivational Interviewing?
MI conversations may involve:
Open-ended questions
Reflective listening
Affirmations
Summaries
Exploring ambivalence
Identifying values
Exploring discrepancies
Eliciting change talk
Discussing confidence
Clarifying goals
Developing plans when the client is ready
The process should feel collaborative rather than confrontational.
MI Does Not Mean a Therapist Never Challenges You
Respecting autonomy does not mean avoiding every difficult conversation.
Therapists may point out discrepancies.
For example:
"You told me being present with your children is one of your highest priorities, and you've also described work taking nearly all of your evenings. How do those two things fit together for you?"
The question invites reflection without dictating the answer.
You Are Allowed to Be Unsure
People sometimes think therapy requires arriving with a clear goal.
It doesn't.
You may come in saying:
"I know something needs to change, but I don't know if I'm ready."
That is something therapy can work with.
Motivational Interviewing at Lifepath Center
At Lifepath Center, Motivational Interviewing may be incorporated alongside CBT, ACT, Solution-Focused Therapy, DBT-informed strategies, person-centered therapy, trauma-informed care, and other approaches depending on the client's goals and needs.
Motivational Interviewing in Riverside, California
Lifepath Center provides in-person therapy in Riverside and telehealth therapy throughout California.
If you feel caught between wanting something different and fearing what change might require, therapy can help you explore both sides without judgment.
Change Is More Sustainable When the Reason Belongs to You
Someone else can tell you what they think you should do.
But lasting change often becomes more powerful when you can say:
"This is why I want something different."
Motivational Interviewing helps create space to find that reason.
Contact Lifepath Center to learn more about Motivational Interviewing and individualized therapy in Riverside, CA.
Frequently Asked Questions About Motivational Interviewing
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MI stands for Motivational Interviewing.
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No. MI was initially developed in work involving substance use but is now used across many areas involving behavior change, ambivalence, treatment engagement, and decision-making.
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Ambivalence means having mixed or conflicting feelings about a decision or change.
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MI emphasizes autonomy and collaboration. The therapist helps clients explore their own motivations and choices rather than simply directing them.
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Change talk refers to client statements expressing desire, ability, reasons, need, or commitment related to making a change.
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Yes. Motivational Interviewing is frequently integrated with CBT, ACT, solution-focused approaches, and other therapies.
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Lifepath Center therapists may incorporate Motivational Interviewing based on their training and each client's individualized treatment needs.