Motivational interviewing to promote self-management

Motivational interviewing is a counseling-based approach for facilitating behavior change that focuses on goal-setting and building self-efficacy (Emmons & Rollnick, 2001; McCarley, 2009; Miller, 2010) . Both clinicians working specifically in mental health and those working in the broader health sector can use this approach to guide individuals with chronic health conditions to identify behaviors they want to change, their motivations for this change, and how they can achieve their goals (Emmons & Rollnick, 2001; Hettema, Steele, & Miller, 2005). Traditionally, clinicians have taken a didactic approach to educating individuals with chronic health conditions about the actions they should take, for example, exercising more and eating less (Emmons & Rollnick, 2001). The didactic approach is often met by resistance and as a result is not always effective in achieving behavior change and self-management (Emmons & Rollnick, 2001). Instead, clinicians can use motivational interviewing to engage the individual's own motivation and commitment and by doing so support individuals to recognize how self-management may help them to achieve their goals (Dellasega, Anel-Tiangco, & Gabbay, 2012).