DAY 3 - Ask an Intentionally Open Ended Question
The 100 Day Motivational Interviewing Experiment
First, a regret
In case you have not noticed, anyone can now use the Comments section.
And I hope you will.
(Yesterday I did not set the post up correctly. I think I have solved the problem. I’m sorry if you got blocked out from commenting or sharing!)
And my surprise
The comments that did come through yesterday were amazing! Each one was a source of surpirse and gratitude for me! Here are some examples:
My day was packed with back-to-back calls—each one offering opportunities for reflection, complex reflections, and all the other MI skills, which I felt went quite well. But just as my workday was wrapping up, things took a turn: my son decided to test his boundaries. In that split second, it was as if my brain completely forgot that MI even exists! - FM
Well I had a day off work today and the only person I’ve seen was my son who popped in. We were chatting and I remembered the two reflections which I thought I did well and was met with “mum, are you feeling ok”?!!! - RG
I love the humanity of these sharings.
And wow, are Reflections hard in some situations! And bring surprising results sometimes!
Want to catch up? See what others are sharing? No problem!
Did you stumble into this post and have no idea what MI (Motivational Interviewing) is? Also no problem. Read on.
Todays Prompt: Day 3 - Ask an Intentionally Open-Ended Question
Curiosity is an interesting thing. And it can be surprising how often Questions do not communicate genuine curiosity.
My mother: “You are going out wearing that?”
Do you see my point? Closed ended questions communicate are tricky.
So today, try to ask one genuinely curious question.
My fantasy mother, being curious: “Hey Sky, how did you decide that was what you wanted to wear today?”
Give it a try, tell us how it goes in the comments section below!
Be Curious, Not Judgemental
Want to Join in?
Just start! And tell us what you did in the comments below
And feel free to comment on your fellow traveler’s write-ups!
You Decide
Some folks are starting small, with just 7 days of MI, some are committing to 3 times a week, some are going for 30 days, and some are going to try for the full 100 days. You decide.
We definitely did not want to be provoking anyone's perfectionism with this experiment!
If you're catching up with this for the first time here's the idea:
Commit yourself to a time limited intentional practice of MI
Tell us what you did every time you do it, put it in the comments of the daily Substack prompt
My Commitment to You
I am committing to helping out by sending a daily blog post on Substack everyday for the next 100 days. The post will include prompts and ideas of what people are doing which might stir your interest in the project and for that day. You are free to try the prompt idea for that day, or do your own thing. Every attempt at practicing MI is welcome!
Low Barriers
As you may know I am interested in providing MI training with the lowest barriers possible: MI Practice and MI Snacks are free and you don't even have to register, you just show up. I’m hoping we can do this the same way here on Substack.
Ready to Start?
Let’s go!
Sky
PS - If you are wondering how and why you are getting this, you signed up to receive emails and substack blog posts from me when you registered for the free MI Practice and Snacks. If this is no longer meeting your interests, you are free to unsubscribe at any time.
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MI BASICS CLASS: The Power of Listening
Get the most of out the free practice sessions
May 23, 2024
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We are all in this together
Sky Kershner, LPC, ALPS, LCSW, DMin
Assistant Professor, WVU School of Medicine
MINT Certified Trainer of Motivational Interviewing
AAMFT Approved Supervisor / Member IEDTA / PACT L2
304-220-0088 / www.wv-mi.com / the mi-ai practice space
Today, I met with someone I'm mentoring. It was our first time meeting and when we were talking (engaging!), she started telling me about a painful time in her life. It was after she became a new mom. Her baby had bad colic (13 months worth) and her mental and physical health started to decline. It kept spiraling for over 5 years. She saw various doctors, invested tens of thousands of dollars, was put on different meds, kept getting no answers, and felt she was being gaslighted (i.e. "It's all in your head".) She kept advocating for herself and eventually found what was wrong and has been on a better path since. But she mentioned she thought about ending her life during this time.
I replied, "It was fiercely painful for you physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. You were getting shunned by the people you trusted to help you. What made you go on living?"
It was a really good conversation overall. And her response to that question took it in an unexpected, yet very welcome, direction.
Curiosity is the key to engagement! I’m learning the importance of taking my time here and let the curiosity be my guide.