Which brief, directive counseling approach is often used to enhance motivation for change?

• A. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
• B. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• C. Psychoanalytic Therapy
• D. Motivational Interviewing

Answer: (D)

Motivational Interviewing is a brief, directive counseling approach designed to boost a client’s own motivation to change by helping them explore ambivalence and articulate their own reasons for change. It’s client-centered and collaborative, with the counselor guiding rather than directing, and it respects the client’s autonomy. The core idea is to evoke change talk—statements that reveal why and how the client might want to change—and to resolve discrepancies between current behavior and personal goals or values. Techniques include open-ended questions, reflective listening, affirmations, and summarizing, often referred to as the OARS micro-skills. Because it aims to enhance intrinsic motivation in a concise format, Motivational Interviewing is widely used for behavior change concerns like substance use and health-related goals. Other approaches focus more on building solutions, altering thoughts and behaviors, or exploring unconscious processes, rather than specifically targeting motivation through ambivalence and autonomy.