Motivational Interviewing in the Treatment of Psychological Problems

This excellent book, edited by the originators of MI ([William R. Miller, PhD] and [Stephen Rollnick, PhD]) along with two highly regarded scientist-practitioners ([Hal Arkowitz, PhD] and [Henny A. Westra]), begins with an introduction to the spirit and techniques of MI and provides an overview of the ways in which MI has been applied in clinical practise. This first chapter also offers a concise description of the efficacy and effectiveness literature on MI to date. For the naïve reader, this chapter provides an essential foundation of knowledge regarding the techniques and history of MI; for the reader well versed in MI, the most interesting contribution of this review chapter is the section about the most effective ways to train others in MI. The first three of these chapters focus on the application of MI to the treatment of anxiety disorders. In chapter 2, the authors discuss the integration of MI into treatment for social phobia, panic disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder, detailing each of the core principles of MI through illustrative examples of clienttherapist interactions. Chapter 3 describes an adaptation of MI aimed at increasing motivation to change and treatment engagement in a population of combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The author offers great detail about the format of each of four group-based sessions and includes sample worksheets as appendixes. In chapter 4, the authors present a brief readiness intervention for patients with obsessive- compulsive disorder who initially refuse exposure therapy. The four-session intervention, delivered in the spirit of MI, includes psychoeducation, exposure in the form of watching a videotape of a simulated therapy session, and telephone contact with a recovered patient. A case illustration is presented, allowing the reader greater insight into the structure of and techniques used in each session. Each of diese chapters ends with a summary of recent research on the intervention presented. As is true throughout the book, research presented is preüminary because rigorous randomised controlled trials examining the efficacy of MI for psychological problems have not yet been conducted. Nevertheless, in the case of anxiety disorders, pilot data suggest that MI may enhance treatment engagement and retention and improve clinical outcome. Chapter 8 focuses on the application of MI to individuals with eating disorders. Although die application of MI to the treatment of bulimia ne