Pic 0: A title card appears before fading to a scene of Dr. Schwartz in front of a blank background. Next to him appears a circle with a trio of figures inside with a thought bubble connected to them that reads “Don’t tell us what to do!”
Dr. Schwartz: Nobody likes to be told what to do, so when we use that kind of Directive approach, it often provokes defensiveness.
Pic 1: Dr. Schwartz disappears and the circle with the figures moves to the center of the screen. The text in their thought bubble changes to “Maybe we should eat healthier.”
Eva: In MI, we use Client-Centered language, which makes it clear that clients are making decisions about their own health, and we’re there to help them.
If we show that we respect and value clients’ ideas, we strengthen their motivation for change.
Let’s explore some techniques we use to recognize clients’ concerns while still encouraging healthier choices.
Pic 2: The images and text move off-screen. The screen changes to one with the title “Open-Ended Questions.” A circle appears below the text. Inside the circle is a small question mark with wide lines coming out from it that progressively grow wider.
Eva: Open-ended questions invite clients to share information, thoughts, and feelings.
A basic open-ended question might look like this:
Pic 3: The screen changes to a slide titled “Basic Open-Ended Questions.” There are three example questions in word bubbles.
Open-ended questions can start conversations, gather information, and help clients sort through ambivalence. They often follow up on leads from the client by asking them to tell you more. And they can encourage reluctant families to consider the benefits of change, like this.
Pic 4: Two more example questions appear below the rest.
Let’s look at some example responses to clients and see which are most effective open-ended questions.
Pic 5: The screen changes to an activity titled “Identify Open-Ended Questions.” The text reads “Open-ended questions promote change. Remember, open-ended questions don’t have a single definitive answer that can be given in a word or two (like “yes.” “fine,” or “twice a week”). Instead, they invite further discussion. Let’s look at some example responses to a client’s statement and feedback.”
The example statement is “I don’t think Sophie watches too much TV. No more than her friends do.” The examples are
Pic 6: The screen changes to the next example statement “I don’t think Jordan’s at risk for diabetes. He’s only 12.” There are three response examples with feedback.
The feedback for this choice reads “Closed questions, that can be answered with a yes or no, are sometimes necessary, but they tend to shut down the flow of communication.