ABSTRACT
Motivational interviewing (MI) continues to evolve and be disseminated for use with different social work target populations. It places high importance on the relationship between the practitioner and the client, utilizing very specific communication skills to enhance relationships and promote clients’ advocating for their own change. The resulting outcomes are often positive. This chapter will reflect on the practice theory of MI. First, we describe the clinical components of MI to further illuminate its theoretical underpinnings. Then, we turn our attention to how widely MI has been adopted within the social work profession. Finally, we highlight potential limitations associated with MI’s practice theory.
