Dietetic Technician Practice Test

What is a key characteristic of effective motivational interviewing?

1. Offering detailed instructions for changes

2. Encouraging solely positive responses

3. Empathizing with the client’s feelings and motivations

4. Promoting decisions made by the counselor

The correct answer is: Empathizing with the client’s feelings and motivations

Motivational interviewing is a client-centered counseling style that emphasizes understanding and supporting clients in their own change processes. A fundamental characteristic of effective motivational interviewing is the ability to empathize with the client’s feelings and motivations. This approach facilitates a supportive environment where clients feel heard, respected, and understood, which can significantly impact their readiness to change. When counselors demonstrate empathy, they can better explore the client's personal motivations, concerns, and ambivalence. Empathy helps build rapport and trust, which encourages clients to engage more openly in the conversation about their behaviors and the changes they wish to make. By acknowledging the client’s perspective, the counselor can guide them in discovering their own solutions rather than imposing external directives. The other options, while they may have elements of effective communication, do not align with the core principles of motivational interviewing. Offering detailed instructions can undermine the autonomy of the client, encouraging a more directive approach rather than a collaborative one. Focusing solely on positive responses can invalidate genuine feelings of ambivalence or concern that clients may have. Promoting decisions made solely by the counselor detracts from the client's ownership of their change process, which is essential for sustained behavior change.