Is It the Best Approach to Behavior Change?

Here’s a basic question coaches ask themselves as they apply their knowledge in the field. How can health, wellness, nutrition and fitness coaches empower and motivate clients to adopt behaviors that support their long-term health?

In other words, how can health coaches apply their skills and knowledge so that their clients feel healthier as they progress?

health behavior science It is an approach to understanding how a person’s decisions and actions, or lack thereof, affect their health and well-being. Recognize and determine the psychological, environmental and social factors that influence and determine health behaviors. Health coaches and related professions are experts in applied behavior change, which is why they are always looking for effective methods to encourage behavior change.

Motivational interviewing, imbued with principles of trauma-conscious care, is considered by many to be A highly effective approach to behavior change. Motivational interviewing is used by client or patient-facing health professionals, such as coaches, to create a space to communicate openly with clients and support them in being active leaders in their health and wellness journey. Trauma-based motivational interviewing uses principles of trauma-informed care and applies them to evidence-based motivational interviewing practices to enhance self-efficacy while also recognizing the potential effects of trauma on the way a person thinks and acts.

This article describes trauma-based motivational interviewing and summarizes the evidence for its potential to have a positive impact on healthy behavior change approaches.

What is the difference between Trauma Informed Motivational Interviewing and Standard Motivational Interviewing?

motivational interviews It is a communication technique used by health professionals to create a safe space that enhances client agency and self-efficacy regarding whether, when, how, and what change occurs.

Through standard motivational interviews, coaches generate guiding questions that allow them to gain insight into where their client is in the continuum of healthy behavior change. An important component of motivational interviews is goal setting based on deep motivations and a realistic look at their current limitations and opportunities for healthy behavior change.

according to Motivational Interview Network of Coaches“Technologies are designed based on a respectful and curious way of being with people who facilitate the natural process of change and respect client autonomy.”

a conscious shock approach Recognizes that unless health professionals are aware of how trauma and negative events affect the way a person thinks and acts, as well as how trauma affects health risks, they may inadvertently re-traumatize clients, even when they think they are respectful and curious. Re-traumatization is any situation or environment that literally or symbolically reminds an individual of a previous trauma and then elicits difficult feelings and reactions associated with the original trauma.

The trauma-informed motivational interviewing approach integrates principles of trauma-informed care into those of motivational interviewing.

the Basic principles Motivational interviews are:

Expressing empathy using reflective listening
Develop the discrepancy between client goals and current problem behavior using reflexive listening and objective feedback
Avoid arguing with the assumption that the customer is responsible for the decision to change
Rolling over resistance instead of facing it or facing it
Supporting self-efficacy and optimism for change

the Six main principles From the Traumatology approach are:

safety: Clients should feel physically and psychologically safe in the training environment.
Credibility and Transparency: Coaches are clear about how they make decisions and what they will do with the information collected. The goal is to build and maintain trust with customers.
Peer support: Provide or suggest opportunities for clients to seek peer support and mutual self-help.
Cooperation and Reciprocity: Realize that there are strength differences between a client and a community-defined health professional and work to reconcile these strength differences.
Enabling, Voice and Choice: The strengths and experiences of individuals are recognized and built upon, and the services provided by coaches are aimed at how, when, what and why aimed at enhancing clients’ empowerment and self-advocacy skills. “Clients are supported in the decision-making, selection and goal setting process to determine the action plan they need to heal and move forward.”
Cultural, historical and gender issues: Trainers recognize and actively transcend stereotypes and biases and integrate policies, protocols, and processes that respond to the needs of the individuals served.

In summary, the Trauma-Informed Motivational Interviewing Approach inculcates the principles of the Trauma-Informed Approach into the Motivational Interviewing Approach.

Are Informed Motivational Trauma Interviewing an Effective Approach to Changing Healthy Behavior?

Motivational interviewing is an evidence-based communication technique that helps promote healthy behavior change. Studies have proven its effectiveness in trainingAnd NursingAnd PediatricsAnd dentistAnd mental health treatmentAnd health education.

Researchers and doctors She highlighted how the Motivational Interviewing Framework is used and the skills it cultivates in Trauma-informed training approach.

In fact, the Standardizing the principles of trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing “Create an atmosphere of security and trust, and elicit and enhance customer incentive to change effectively.”

Subtle but important differences between conscious trauma vs. The Trauma Uninformed Motivational Interviewing Approach

Someone who is well versed in motivational interviewing but is unaware of how the trauma affects the person’s health, well-being, mentality and development may provide information or ask questions that appear respectful but may make the client uncomfortable, and may even relive the traumatic experiences.

The non-trauma-based motivational interviewing approach may:

Ask about circumstances that the customer does not feel comfortable sharing
Ignoring the social determinants of health
Use provocative or judgmental language
Ignore cultural, historical, and gender issues that have an impact on the client’s way of communicating and what they feel comfortable talking about, values and decision-making process, among others.

Rate conscious shock approach Help fill in the gaps in motivational interviewing for people who have experienced trauma. The subject and objectives addressed in both trauma-based and non-trauma-based motivational interviews may be the same, but the way health professionals ask the questions may differ.

For example, the non-shock motivational interviewing approach might phrase a question as a statement or command:

“So you mentioned you didn’t have a good experience with your previous health coach. I’m sorry about that. Tell me about it.”

While the health coach expresses empathy and appears respectful, the information the coach wants to access (what happened made the client feel like they didn’t have a good experience) is phrased as a requirement. This does not promote a sense of choice or realize that the client may not feel comfortable or safe to talk about.

Alternatively, the shockingly informed version from the previous question might be:

“In your previous answer, you mentioned that, in general, you haven’t had a good experience with your health coach. That must have been difficult, and I’m sorry. Do you feel comfortable telling me why you feel this way? The information will help me respect your needs and avoid repeating the same mistakes.”

While both communications aim to hear the same information from the customer, the second response helps enhance security and a sense of choice while communicating transparency about why the information is important.

Main Takeaway

Trauma-based motivational interviews are a tool for building a true connection with your client, understanding their circumstances and way of thinking, and creating a non-judgmental space for critical thinking and problem solving.

Keep in mind, however, that no single strategy is a comprehensive and definitive approach. Even with clients who respond constructively to trauma-based motivational interviews, they should be paired with other methods and tools they see fit, which may include communication techniques for conveying information, setting goals, modeling and learning on the job, and imagining scenarios.

If you want to implement a trauma-informed motivational interview with your clients, do your best to keep the lines of communication open so you can receive feedback on how they are feeling as they progress, how you can improve, and whether or not they are traumatized – Informed motivational interviewing is a tool effective for them.