Ep 10 – Affirmations in Motivational Interviewing
Ep 10 – Affirmations in Motivational Interviewing
Glenn Hinds Affirmations in Motivational Interviewing
In Episode 10 of Talking to Change: A Motivational Interviewing Podcast, we were joined by Tim Apodaca, licensed psychologist and associate professor of paediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA. Tim is a clinician and researcher who devotes much of his work on the use of MI with adolescents experiencing complex life challenges. In this episode, Tim shared his ideas on affirmations through case illustrations and findings from his research on how MI works. Affirmations in Motivational Interviewing recognise a person’s strengths, efforts, values and qualities. They differ from praise because they are grounded in careful listening rather than the practitioner’s approval. Tim explores how genuine affirmations can strengthen engagement and help people recognise resources they can draw on when considering change.
The discussion connects affirmations with goals and values, curiosity, change talk and the broader tone of MI. It also considers their use with adolescents and families, drawing on Tim’s clinical work and research. For a practical guide, see Affirmations in Motivational Interviewing.
In this episode
0:00 – Opening/introduction
3:00 – What is an affirmation?
7:30 – Affirmation or praise?
12:00 – Genuine affirmations with case discussion
25:30 – Eliciting goals and values
34:00 – Research on connection between affirmations and change talk
41:00 – Importance of curiosity
47:30 – The “tone” of MI
51:20 – Affirmations with adolescents and families
1:01:00 – Research on “envisioning the future” with clients
1:06:20 – Closing
Listen to Episode 10
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For more episodes in this series click Talking To Change: A Motivational Interviewing Podcast
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