Identifying Change Talk

Change Talk is the Secret Sauce of MI

Day 220+ 78
Change Talk is the Secret Sauce of Motivational Interviewing

Being able to identify and evoke change talk during the conversation is at the Secret Sauce of what makes motivational interviewing unique, and what has the potential to pull towards a new future. This is an intermediate level skill, so if you're working on making reflections and not giving advice, you might stay with that and know that this is the next steps towards having MI fluency are coming.

What Change Talk Actually Sounds Like

Change talk often shows up quietly, mixed in with sustain talk. Someone might say, "I know I should quit smoking, but it's just so hard with all the stress." The change talk is buried in there - "I know I should quit" - but it's easy to miss because our ears tune into the "but" part.

Or they'll say something like, "Part of me wants to go back to school" or "I've been thinking about having that conversation with my boss."
These are the whispers of possibility of Change Talk.

Why We Miss It

We miss Change Talk because we're often listening for big commitments or clear decisions. But change talk starts small: a slight shift in language, a moment when someone sounds different, a softening in their voice when they talk about what could be.

Sometimes it sounds like a complaint: "I'm tired of feeling this way" or "I can't keep doing this forever." We hear problems, but underneath might be the seeds of motivation.

What to Do When You Hear It

When you catch change talk, reflect it back. Don't cheerleader it to death or immediately ask follow-up questions. Just let them hear their own words of possibility:

"Part of you really wants to make this change."
"You're feeling ready to try something different."
"It sounds like this matters to you."

Practice Right Now, if you want to

Here's a little AI practice to help you find the change talk when it shows up. I call this one "The Chatty Client." Looking for Change Talk can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. You have to pay attention to find it. This AI practice will help you tune your ears. This is a fun one, check it out for free with The Daily 3-Minute Drill: https://mi-ai-practice.com/?try=daily-conversation-drill

Todays Practice, Catch the Change Talk

Whether it’s with the AI or with a live person, see if you can tune to the whisper of Change Talk, the Secret Sauce of MI. Practice listening for those moments when someone's voice shifts toward possibility, even when they're buried in sustain talk.

And let me know how it goes for you

Sky

And here’s a little 5 minute video of what the MI-AI Practice for today looks like.

And Thank you!

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We really 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