The Spirit of MI
Stages of Change
Definitions
Phases of Change/Four Fundamental Processes
Core Skills
100

MI is a collaborative process. This element of the spirit of MI recognizes that people are experts on their own lives.

What is partnership?

100

The member has fallen back into his/her old behavior and back to doing the behavior that he/she was going to change.

What is relapse?

100

A collaborative person-centered communication process designed to help individuals resolve ambivalence and plan for change.

What is motivational interviewing?

100

Establish trust and a helping relationship

What is engaging?

100

Emotional support or encouragement that recognizes strengths, efforts, and past successes to help build hope and confidence in the ability to change.

What are affirmations?

200

The MI practitioner promotes client’s welfare and wellbeing in an empathetic way.

What is compassion?

200

A member is thinking about change, but has not made any plans or done anything yet.

What is contemplation?

200

A problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to significant impairment or distress as evidenced by specific criteria within a 12-month period.

What is alcohol use disorder?

200

To bring forth a person's motivation for change, elicit their "why?"

What is evoking?

200

Draws out and explores the person's experiences, perspectives, and ideas. Evokes questions to guide the individual to reflect on how change may be meaningful or possible.

What are open-ended questions?

300

People have the resources to change within themselves and this draws out their priorities, values, and wisdom to explore reasons to change and support success.

What is evocation?

300

The client has made changes and has kept them up for a period of time now to meet their goals.

What is maintenance?

300

A reflection, affirmation, or accord followed by a reframe.

What is agreement with a twist?

300

The MI practitioner consolidates an individual's commitment to change and explores of the "how" to meet goals based on the person's own insights and expertise.

What is planning?

300

A core skill that ensures a shared understanding and reinforces key points made by the client.

What is summarizing?

400

The MI practitioner takes a nonjudgmental stance, seeks to understand the persons perspectives and experiences, expresses empathy, highlights strengths, and respects a person’s right to make informed decision about changing or not changing.

What is acceptance?

400

Your member is making plans and talking about how he/she is going to make some changes.

What is preparation?

400

The clinical error of assuming and communicating that the counselor has the best answers to the client’s problems.

What is 'the expert trap'?

400

An agenda is negotiated that draws on the client and practitioner's expertise to agree on a shared purpose.

What is focusing?

400

This skill is based on careful listening to try to understand what the person is saying, by repeating, rephrasing, or offering a deeper guess about what the person is trying to communicate.

What are reflections?

500

Name the four key principles in the spirit of MI.

What is partnership, evocation, acceptance, and compassion (PACE)?

500

List all six Stages of Change in order.

What is pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse?

500

A statement capturing both sides of a speaker's ambivalence.

What is a double-sided reflection?

500

The four phases of change/fundamental processes in MI.

What is engagement, focusing, evoking, and planning?

500

The four essential MI skills.

Open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries.