Drug and alcohol addiction can take a heavy toll on your life as well as the lives of your loved ones. Unfortunately, the consequences of substance misuse alone are not always enough to motivate a person to quit. Recovery from addiction can be difficult, requiring commitment and dedication, which is why it is important to incorporate treatment approaches that tackle drug and alcohol dependence from multiple angles. One such approach that can help build your motivation to cultivate a sober lifestyle is motivational interviewing.
If you are interested in how motivational interviewing in San Francisco can support your recovery from mental health and addiction struggles, reach out to Foundations San Francisco at 415.854.6735 or online. Our addiction therapy services include motivational interviewing, person-centered therapy, and more. Our comprehensive approach to addiction treatment helps ensure that you are set up for a thorough, successful recovery.
What Is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational interviewing is a type of counseling specifically designed to help people overcome ambivalence and increase motivation to change their behavior. This approach focuses on:
- Collaboration
- Empathy
- Respect
Emphasizing these qualities rather than coercion or confrontation makes motivational interviewing a particularly effective approach for people in addiction recovery.
How Does Our Motivational Interviewing Program in San Francisco Help with Recovery?
Motivational interviewing is different from other types of counseling, and it may prove to be particularly useful for those who do not see the desired results with more common therapeutic techniques. A few attributes of motivational interviewing that make it an excellent component of an addiction treatment plan are:
Teaching Acceptance
It can be tough to admit when you are not ready to change, especially when you feel pressured by others to overcome addiction. Motivational interviewing encourages you to acknowledge your reluctance or resistance to change rather than arguing or pushing back against it. By doing this, your therapist can help you explore your concerns, fears, and hopes, which can ultimately increase your motivation to change.
Emphasizing Internal Motivation
Motivational Interviewing helps you identify your personal reasons for change to increase your self-efficacy. When enrolling in an addiction treatment program, you may expect counselors and other staff to try to convince you why you need to change. While this approach may be helpful for some, it can put off others. Motivational interviewing is unique because it involves helping you identify your reasons for wanting to change. This can make it more effective because it taps into your internal motivations rather than an external pressure to change.
Exploring Goals and Action Steps
The main goal of recovery is to stop using drugs or alcohol, but there is much more to it than that. Your therapist can help you explore goals that are personal to you so that you feel more invested in working toward them. Determining your “why” is a crucial step, as what matters most to you will differ from another person in recovery.
Once these personal goals are identified, your counselor can help you recognize the discrepancy between where you are now and where you want to be. From there, they can assist you in building momentum through small changes or action steps that bring you closer to achieving your goals.
Overcome Addiction with Motivational Interviewing at Foundations San FranciscoÂ
While recovery from addiction requires hard work and determination, therapeutic techniques like motivational interviewing can help you successfully achieve your goals for recovery and beyond. If you would like to learn more about how motivational interviewing in San Francisco can help you overcome drug and alcohol addiction, contact Foundations San Francisco at 415.854.6735 or via our online form. We utilize motivational interviewing and other addiction therapy services in our wide array of programs for substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, anger management, and dual diagnosis.Â