If you don’t know already, Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based approach that was founded in the early 80’s by Dr. Bill Miller, a psychologist working with problem drinkers. Since that time, MI has grown in popularity as more and more helping professionals utilize the approach (as opposed to treatment as usual) and find that they feel much more prepared for working with their clients on behavior change issues.
In particular, health coaches have begun to rely on MI as a foundational skill. Katie Slack, the owner and Lead Trainer for MI Training Today, is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Society of Health Coaches, a wonderful organization that offers an excellent health coach certification program based on Motivational Interviewing’s main principles and techniques.
Still need a little more convincing? When Motivational Interviewing (MI) was compared to treatment as usual patients receiving MI were more likely to:
- Enter, stay in & complete treatment.
- Attend follow-up visits.
- Adhere to glucose monitoring.
- Increase fruit & vegetable intake.
- Reduce stress.
- Reduce sodium intake.
- Keep food diaries.
- Reduce unprotected sex & needle sharing.
- Improve medication adherence.
(Rollnick, Miller, & Butler, 2007)
If you would like to see any of these 9 outcomes for your patients, then learning MI is the next step for you. And if these 9 reasons are still not enough, there’s more!
- The 4 Guiding Principles of MI: RULE provide a clear cut & effective way to work with your clients:
R = Resist the Righting Reflex
U = Understand Patient’s Motivations
L = Listen to the Patient
E = Empower the Patient
Motivational Interviewing can seem both familiar, and at the same time difficult to integrate without sufficient training or support (Rollnick et al., 2007). Get the help you need to utilize this highly effective approach with your clients. Sign up for a training or purchase a webinar from the Health Coaches Webinar Series today.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) asks that we be empathic, collaborative and at the same time gently challenging as we work with our clients on making changes. Our presence and attentiveness are also key, as we try to understand the person’s worldview. It feels great, in my opinion, to use MI and be of service to someone in this way, but it’s not always easy. What’s the saying, “if your cup isn’t full…” hopefully you know the rest. Basically, I think the more we take care of ourselves, the more we are able to truly be of service to someone else. If we are frazzled and worn out, it is more difficult for us to be available and present for another. Not that we won’t try and not that our culture and jobs don’t lend themselves to this dynamic, to give and give until you have nothing left.
Katie Slack holds a BA in Psychology and a Master of Social Work degree. She is an Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP) Certified Crisis Intervention Counselor and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). Katie Slack provides training and consultation on Basic and Advanced Motivational Interviewing, the use of Motivational Interviewing with Domestic Violence survivors, as well as on designing trauma-informed service systems that integrate Motivational Interviewing practices.