Most people who are thinking about changing something already know the arguments for it.
They have heard them from a partner, a doctor, a parent, or their own head at three in the morning. Drink less. Leave the job. Stop the habit. Being told again rarely helps. If anything, it tends to produce the opposite reaction: a quiet list of reasons why not and why not yet.
That is not stubbornness. It is ambivalence, and it is a normal part of how people change. Motivational interviewing is built around it.
Motivational interviewing, often shortened to MI, is an evidence-based, collaborative style of counselling that helps people work through their mixed feelings about change.
It was developed by psychologists William Miller and Stephen Rollnick, originally in work with alcohol use, and is now used across a wide range of concerns.
The central idea is simple. People are more likely to change when the reasons come from them, in their own words, than when someone else supplies them. So rather than persuading, advising, or warning, a counsellor using MI helps you hear your own reasons more clearly, including those that have been drowned out.
When someone argues for change, the person on the other side naturally argues back. Every time someone says "you should," it invites a "yes, but" response.
Motivational interviewing avoids that tug of war entirely. Your counsellor will not lecture you, label you, or push you toward a decision you have not yet made. Both sides of your ambivalence are treated as understandable, because they usually are. The drink at the end of the day does something for you. So does the job you hate. Pretending otherwise just ends the conversation.
Once both sides are on the table, honestly, people often find the balance shifts on its own.
Depending on your circumstances and your therapist's clinical assessment, motivational interviewing may support people who are:
It is often useful for people who have already tried to think their way out of something and found that understanding it did not change it.
ACT is not automatically right for everyone, and a therapist should assess that rather than assume.
Sessions feel more like a conversation than a treatment.
Your counsellor will ask open questions and listen carefully, reflecting back what they hear so you can hear it too. They will notice when you talk about wanting, needing, or being able to change and help you explore that further. They will also respect the parts of you that are not ready.
You might look at:
The decision stays yours throughout. Some people leave with a clear plan. Others leave with a clearer sense of why they are not ready yet, which is also useful information.
It may suit you if you do:
It may suit you less if you have already made a firm decision and mainly want practical tools and structure. In that case, your counsellor may take a more skills-based approach.
Two of our therapists use motivational interviewing in their work, alongside other approaches, according to their training and what you need.
Founder and Clinical Lead, Psychotherapist and Registered Social Worker
Over 20 years of counselling experience, including addiction centres, courts, and probation and parole, with long-standing work on alcohol and substance concerns, anger, and family issues.
Psychotherapist and Registered Social Worker
Holds a postgraduate certificate in Addictions and Mental Health and works with alcohol and addiction concerns, stress, and coping. Sessions in English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu.
Sessions are available in person at our Brampton clinic. Online sessions across Ontario are available with Sabrina.
For people who want more structure around their drinking, the practice also runs RESET, a six-week alcohol recovery and accountability program.
No. Your counsellor will not tell you what to do. The aim is to help you work out what you want and why and to support whatever decision you reach.
No. Labels are not required, and they are not part of this approach.
That is a common starting point. Many people begin counselling because a partner, a doctor, or an employer suggested it. You can talk about that honestly, including how you feel about being there.
Yes. Motivational interviewing has a large research base, particularly for alcohol and substance use, and is widely used in health care.
It can be brief. Some people find a few sessions are enough to reach a decision, then continue with other approaches to act on it.
Yes, with Sabrina, depending on availability. Mention it when you get in touch.
You do not need to have decided anything before getting in touch.
Tell us what you have been thinking about changing and what has been making it hard.
We'll start by listening.
Book Your Free 30-Minute ConsultationC.S. Counselling & Consulting Services
2250 Bovaird Drive E, Suite 408
Brampton, ON L6R 0W3
Motivational Interviewing in Brampton | Virtual Counselling Across Ontario
If you are in immediate distress or concerned about your safety, please contact emergency services or a local crisis line. Ongoing counselling is not an emergency service.
