3 Motivational interviewing Core Skills in Action

Summary

The video script showcases a health psychologist, Dr. Turner, engaging with a patient referred by her GP due to concerning drinking habits. Through attentive listening and motivational interviewing techniques, Dr. Turner encourages the patient to reflect on the pros and cons of her alcohol consumption. The discussion highlights the patient's awareness of the risks, especially in relation to her future family plans, and her readiness to consider cutting back. The session aims to motivate change by examining the patient's social drinking habits and their impact on her health and future goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 Building a collaborative relationship from the start is crucial, showing interest and attentive listening to the patient.
• 🗣️ Utilizing motivational interviewing strategies such as open-ended questions, reflecting, affirming, and summarizing is effective.
• 📊 The readiness ruler and pros and cons technique are helpful tools to assess and reflect on behaviors and current situations.
• 👩‍⚕️ The patient was referred by her GP due to concerning drinking habits revealed by a secondary screening tool.
• 🎓 The patient is a grad student in Environmental Policy with plans to possibly travel abroad and start a family.
• 🥂 Alcohol consumption is a social activity for the patient, often involving friends and weekend gatherings.
• 🚫 The patient acknowledges the risks associated with alcohol, especially with future family plans and personal health.
• 🤔 The patient is surprised to be referred for counseling, as they perceive their drinking habits as normal among peers.
• 🔢 The patient's drinking pattern includes three to four nights a week with occasional heavy drinking on weekends.
• 🤰 The patient is aware of the health risks of alcohol during pregnancy and plans to abstain when starting a family.
• 🔄 The patient is willing to consider cutting back on drinking, motivated by future family plans and health concerns.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the interview between Marcia and Dr. Turner?

The main purpose of the interview is to address concerns about Marcia's drinking habits, which were flagged by her GP during a secondary screening tool, and to discuss how these habits might affect her future plans, including starting a family.

What motivational interviewing strategies does Dr. Turner use during the session?

Dr. Turner uses open-ended questions, reflecting, affirming, summarizing, and readiness rulers as motivational interviewing strategies to help Marcia examine her drinking behaviors.

Why was Marcia referred to Dr. Turner by her GP?

Marcia was referred to Dr. Turner because her scores on a secondary screening tool for drinking indicated a level of risk that concerned her GP.

What degree is Marcia pursuing in grad school, and how does it relate to her future plans?

Marcia is pursuing a degree in Environmental Policy, and she sees herself possibly going abroad with her fiancé Ben, who is interested in international politics, after they get married.

What are some of the social activities Marcia enjoys in her free time?

In her free time, Marcia enjoys outdoor activities like whitewater rafting and rock climbing, hosting parties at her house, and cooking for friends.

What does Marcia consider the pros of her drinking habits?

Marcia considers the social aspect and the ability to feel less inhibited as the pros of her drinking habits, especially when she is with her group of friends.

What are some of the cons or negative effects Marcia has experienced due to her drinking?

Some negative effects Marcia has experienced include hangovers, blackouts, and embarrassing situations, such as being involved in an incident in college that required her mother's involvement.

How does Dr. Turner bring up the topic of alcohol and its relation to Marcia's future family plans?

Dr. Turner brings up the topic by asking Marcia if she has considered the health risks of drinking during pregnancy and by connecting her current drinking habits with her future family plans.

What is the safe limit for women's alcohol consumption according to the script?

The safe limit for women's alcohol consumption mentioned in the script is seven drinks per week.

What is Marcia's readiness level on a scale of one to ten to address her drinking habits seriously?

Marcia's readiness level to address her drinking habits is 8.5 on a scale of one to ten.

What steps does Marcia plan to take in the following week to change her drinking habits?

Marcia plans to talk to her fiancé and her mother about her intentions to cut back on drinking, and she considers limiting her alcohol consumption to only weekends as a manageable change.