Motivational Interviewing Cheat Sheet

INAPPROPRIATE ASSUPTIONS WHAT TO AVOID - These things generally

REGARDING BEHAVIOR CHANGE: are likely to increase a person’s resistance and
can lead to less adherence.
This person must change.
This person wants to change. Ordering/commanding Shaming or labeling
This client’s health is the prime motivating Warning or Interpreting or analying
factor for them. threatening Consoling or
If they don’t decide to change, your coaching Persuading with sympathizing
has failed. logic/arguing Prying or Probing
Providing solutions Withdrawing or
Clients are either motivated to change, or not.
Moralizing distacting
Now is the right time to consider change.
Judging or blaming Agreeing and approving
A tough approach is always best.
I’m the expert. Client’s must follow my advice.

BASIC MI QUESTIONS

What are you considering changing? Why would you want to make this change?
What are your three best reasons to do it?

Importance Ruler
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is it for you to change ?

Confidence Ruler
On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you that you could make a change in if you wanted to?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

And why are you at and not a (lower number)?

So what would you like to do for yourself in the next week or two? And/or what do you think
will be your next step in this new direction?

Reflect on above each question if possible

** Encouraging the other person to elaborate, amplify, confirm, or correct.

(A reflection makes a guess about what the person means)

Ways to open a reframe with reflection:

So you feel... It sounds like you... You’re wondering if... It seems to you...

Look for and reflect change talk during a client check-in, sales call or conversation:
“I want to” “I could” “I have to” “I need to” “I’m going to”

@coachkaseyjo • kasey@kjocoaching.com • KJOcoaching.com

Motivational Interviewing Cheat Sheet
SKILLS
O: Open-ended questions
Explore concerns, promote collaboration, and understand the
client’s perspective ***ADDITONAL SKILLS:
A: Affirmations Normalizing: allow clients to
Support strengths, convey respect and appreciation feel heard and not alone in
R: Reflective Listening their experience and struggles
Explore concerns, convey understanding, elicit
change talk Asking Permission: promotes
autonomy and lets client’s feel
S: Summarize more in control of the
Organize discussion, clarify motivation, provide conversation
contrast, focus the session and highlight change talk

CHANGE TALK
Change talk is the client making statements that are in favor of change, which suggests that the
client is becoming more ready, willing, and able to make change. Change talk can occur is serveral
forms that makeup the acronym DARN CAT.

PREPARATORY CHANGE TALK

D = Desire statements. Statements indicating a desire to make a change.
“I’m hoping things will change.”
“I wish I could make my life better.”
A = Ability statements. Statements taht speak to the client’s belief in the ability to make changes.
”I think I could do that.” “I can make a change; I just need to commit.”
R = Reasons statements. Statements that reflect the reasons the client gives for considering a
change.
“I have to eat healthier because of my health concerns.” “I will be more attracrtive if I lose weight.”
N = Need statements. Statements that indicate a need for change. These can be similar to R
statements, but emphasis is more affective or emotional than a more cognitive R statement.
“It’s really important to my health to change my diet.”

MOBILIZING CHANGE TALK

C = Commitment. Statements that are prerequisites to change talk and predictors of change
occuring.
“I am going to...” “I intend to...” “I will...”

A = Activation. This indicates movement toward action, yet hasn’t been done.
“I’m ready to...” “I am prepared to” “I’ll start planning...”

T = Taking Steps. This indicates that the person has already taken steps.
“I’ve went to the gym” “I’ve already made arrangements to...”

@coachkaseyjo • kasey@kjocoaching.com • KJOcoaching.com