How to Stage an Intervention? Use Motivational Interviewing Techniques.
An intervention is a serious and important event for friends and family members alike. While Hollywood has often made light of interventions, these events can be significant forks in the road for those struggling with addiction or on the road to recovery.
There are many ways to successfully intervene with a loved one and also multiple ways to give the wrong impression.
One of the most successful tactics we’ve found in our 40 years of operations is called motivational interviewing.
Motivational interviewing is a collaborative conversation meant to strengthen a person’s motivation and commitment to change.
Today, we’re going to discuss the importance of this technique and some of its aspects.
Keys to Motivational Interviewing
An intervention is designed to get an individual to change or alter their actions or habits. But no matter how great your words are or how much you pour your heart out, it has to be the individual who ultimately decides to make a change.
The concept of motivational interviewing is to use empathy to get the interviewee to talk openly and comfortably about the issues at hand, and what they can do to change.
Some key components to motivational interviewing are that:
It must be fluid and dynamic; an open dialogue and comfortable conversation. The interviewer must understand that the way the questions are presented will influence the responses given by the interviewee; therefore it’s important to know how to ask the questions.
The conversation focuses on the process instead of the outcome.
The interviewer must be empathetic and use reflective listening.
The person doing the interview must identify the person’s willingness to change, and adapt the conversation based on that.
During motivational interviewing, it's vital to pursue collaboration instead of confrontation. The old advice of never use “you” in an argument rings true here.
You want to talk about how you can make strides together or what you can do to support. You don’t want to spend your time accusing the person of everything they did wrong. That’s more likely to bring up the “fight” response.
Go after evocation instead of education. The individual likely knows what they’re doing is harmful and wrong, but that doesn’t mean you should be reading them statistics about addicts or substance abusers.
Instead, try to go with emotions and speak from the heart.
Along those same lines, motivational interviewing is about inspiring the person you’re speaking with to make a change. This is not your opportunity to establish authority or demand they make a change. Remember, the change has to come from them.
Pull Instead of Push
If we could put a sign on motivational interviewing, we’d borrow the “Pull” sign you see on doors across the country.
Instead of pushing or forcing the person into a change, you need to pull them into the conversation through various techniques.
First, express empathy in what they’re going through. Of course, you may have been affected by their actions, but they’re the one that’s the most affected. Be sure to communicate respect and support instead of judgment or discipline,
Try to focus on the future instead of talking about the current situation and past. After all, an intervention is about where they can go, not what they’ve done.
Encourage the person and recognize their strengths. Even the gentlest of interventions may seem like a constant flood of attacks, so it’s important to encourage them with what they excel at. Focus on small steps and things before hoping for a giant change.
Before the conversation, prepare yourself for the interview by understanding the different stages of resistance the interviewee might throw at you, as well as their current willingness to change. Taking the time to wrap your head around these two things will strengthen the likelihood of a successful interview.
Stages of Resistance and Change
Resistance
Over the course of an intervention, you’re likely to see the person fluctuate with their levels of resistance. Be prepared for the following:
Arguing-challenging what you have to say, hostility, questioning your expertise.
Interrupting
Denying-blaming others or outside forces for their current situation
Ignoring-Being easily sidetracked, non-committal answers
Self-barriers-self doubt, making up things to keep them from committing.
Change
Everyone is in a different phase of change. Knowing where the person stands in their willingness to change will help you craft your questions accordingly, to ensure that their perception is that you understand what they are going through.
Pre-contemplation - not yet considering a change
Contemplation - understanding concerns and the possibility of change
Preparation - committed to a plan
Action - actively taking steps to change
Maintenance - ongoing work to keep up with goals
Recurrence - may experience a relapse but ready to take steps to help
Questions to Ask
Before we dive into questions, it’s important to think about how to ask those questions.
Make them open-ended, inviting the person to elaborate. Think about how these questions trigger emotions but also how they can help people start thinking about the future.
Respond positively to their answers and have some follow-up questions ready. Most importantly, let them talk things out. Don’t interrupt or make suggestions.
What do you think you will do to change?
What’s your next step?
What do you think has to change?
What are your options?
How are you going to do it?
When are you going to do that?
What would be some of the good things about making a change?
What seems most possible?
Why would you want to make a change?
What are the best three reasons for the change?
How serious or important does this feel to you?
When thinking about the questions to ask, consider the person’s desire, ability, reason, need, and commitment to change. The questions you can consider asking are:
Desire
How would you like for things to change?
Tell me about what you don’t like about how things are now?
How would you like your life to be different a month, two months, a year from now?
Ability
What do you think you might be able to change?
How confident are you that you could….?
What seems most possible?
Reason
Why would you want to…?
What might be the three best reasons for…?
Finish this sentence: things can’t go on the way they have because…
Need
What do you think has to change?
How serious or important does this feel to you?
Commitment
Identify specific things they are willing to do.
Rate importance and confidence of making the change.
Explore what would increase importance and confidence.
Before having the conversation, prepare yourself with reminders to:
Listen more than talk
Stay sensitive and open to this person’s issues, whatever they may be
Invite them to talk about and explore his/her own ideas for change
Encourage the person to talk about his/her reason for not changing
Ask permission to give feedback
Reassure this person that ambivalence to change is normal
Help the person identify successes and challenges from his/her past and relate them to present change efforts
Seek to understand them
Summarize for them person what you are hearing
Value their opinion more than your own
Remind yourself that they are capable of making his/her own choices
Wrapping it Up
Interventions are tough, no matter what the circumstances are. It’s important to prepare ahead of time. Go over the points listed above, write out questions, and be ready to listen. Remove all distractions to show that you’re there for the person.
Through motivational interviewing, you can help the person achieve their next steps to getting clean.
At the Walker Center, we have plenty of resources to help those who want to help others or receive help themselves. Get in contact with us today to learn more.
Need more help? Download our FREE GUIDE to staging an intervention below.
