The Art of Reflective Listening

In Motivational Interviewing

Reflections are at the core of Motivational Interviewing

Clients have the opportunity to figure things out for themselves.

Skillfully used they impetus for change talk Gain clarity and understand where your

client is in the change process Reflections help improve clinical rapport

Reflections

Reflective statement are used more often than questions in eliciting change talk

For every one questions two reflections should follow

Pre-contemplation to contemplation to preparation to action

Ambivalence -sustain to change talk Helps your client self reflect Helps with your personal life

Reflections

Building rapport-clinical attunement

short statements that reflect/mirror back the emotion or content

Repeating back, or staying close to content

Reflect back their body language of what they have said. (do one with body language)

They are also good when feel flustered by the client and stuck for a response( a jolting statement) buys you some time

Simple Reflections

Goes beyond what is said Offers a new perspective/adds meaning Moves the conversation forward Reflects a deeper meaning

Complex Reflections

AmplifiedDouble SidedAgreement with TwistSiding with the NegativeMetaphor

Five Complex Reflections

A statement in a more extreme fashion.

takes what the client said and increases the intensity of the “sustain-talk. ”When hearing an amplification of what was communicated, a client will often reconsider what he/she said and clarify

a statement in an exaggerated form.

Amplified

Reflecting the pros and the cons- reflect area of ambivalence

Reflect back what is good and what is not so good

Reflect back both sides of the ambivalence

Double Sided

Zinger approach- can land the client in a totally other direction)Simple reflection followed by a reframe subtle strategy to agree with the client but with a slight twist of change/reframe to move the discussion forward or to look at something differently begin with a simple reflection of the clients comment twist at the end.

Agreeing with a Twist

Therapeutic paradox Rolling with Resistance siding with the counter perspective often

elicits change talk raise only one side, the person is inclined to explore

the other

Siding with the negatives

Paints a picture that can clarify the client’s position

Restating what is said to create a visual Often helps the client to see their situation

in new way

Metaphors