Here is a basic question coaches ask themselves when they apply their knowledge in the field. How can health, wellness, nutrition and fitness coaches empower and motivate clients to adopt behaviors that support their long-term health?
In other words, how can health trainers apply their skills and knowledge so that their clients feel truly healthy as they improve?
The science of health behavior A way of understanding how a person’s decisions and activities or their lack constitute their health and well-being. It recognizes the psychological, environmental and social factors that influence and determine health behavior. Health instructors and related professions specialize in applied behavioral change, which is why they are always looking for effective ways to encourage behavioral change.
Motivational interviews, combined with the principles of trauma-informed care, are considered by many to be one Highly effective method for behavior change. Motivational interviews are used by client- or patient-oriented health professionals, such as coaches, to create a space for open communication with clients and to support them to become active leaders in their own health and wellness journey. Trauma-informed motivational interviews use principles of trauma-informed care and apply them to evidence-based motivational interview practices to promote self-efficacy as well as acknowledge the potential impact of trauma on how a person thinks and acts.
This article describes trauma-informed motivational interviews and summarizes evidence of its potential for making a positive impact on the way health behavior changes.
What is the difference between a Trauma-Informed Motivational Interview and a Standard Motivational Interview?
Inspirational interviews A communication technique used by health professionals to create a safe space that enhances the clients’ self-efficacy regarding agency and if, when, how and what changes.
Through standard inspirational interviews, coaches create guiding questions that allow them to gain insights into the continuity of changing client health behavior. An important element of motivational interviewing is setting goals based on deep motivation and a realistic view of their current limitations and opportunities to change health behaviors.
According to Motivational interview network of trainers“Technologies are designed to be based on a respectable and intriguing way of being with people that facilitates the normal process of change and respects the client’s autonomy.”
A Trauma-informed procedures Admittedly, unless health professionals are aware of how trauma and adverse events affect a person’s thinking and behavior, as well as how trauma affects health risks, they may unknowingly re-hit clients, even when they believe they are respectful and Curious. Re-traumatization is a situation or environment that literally or figuratively reminds a person of past trauma and then triggers difficult feelings and reactions related to the original injury.
A trauma-informed motivational interview method integrates trauma-informed care principles with motivational interview policies.
The basic principles of motivational interviewing are:
- Expressing empathy using reflected hearing
- Develop a distinction between client goals and current problem behaviors using reflective listening and purposeful feedback
- Avoid arguing that the client is responsible for the decision to change
- Rolling with resistance without confronting or resisting
- Supporting optimism for self-efficacy and change
The six key principles of the trauma-aware approach are:
- Security: Clients should feel physically and mentally safe in the coaching environment.
- Integrity and transparency: Coaches are clear about how they make decisions and what they do with the information they collect. The goal is to build and maintain trust with clients.
- Peer support: Provide or advise clients the opportunity to seek peer support and mutual self-help.
- Collaboration and reciprocity: Acknowledge that there are power differences between clients and health professionals that society has determined and that power works to equalize the differences.
- Empowerment, voice and choice: The strengths and experiences of individuals are recognized and built on and how, when, what and why the service trainers offer is aimed at empowering clients and enhancing self-advocacy skills. “Supported sharing decisions, choices and goals to determine the action plans needed to heal clients and move forward.”
- Cultural, historical and gender issues: Trainers recognize and actively remove past stereotypes and biases and incorporate policies, protocols and procedures that are responsive to the needs of the individuals served.
In short, a trauma-informed motivational interview method influences the principles of the trauma-informed approach to motivational interview methods.
Is Trauma-Informed Motivational Interview an Effective Method for Changing Health Behavior?
Motivational interviewing is an evidence-based style of communication that helps promote health behavior change. Studies have shown its effectiveness Coaching, Nursing, Pediatrics, Dentistry, Mental health treatmentAnd Health education.
Researcher and physician Highlights the structure of a motivational interview and how it can be used to cultivate skills Trauma-informed coaching method.
In fact, r Integration of the principles of trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing “Create an environment of security and confidence and inspire and empower clients to change effectively.”
The subtle but important difference between a trauma-aware vs. non-trauma-informed motivational interview method
A person who specializes in motivational interviews but is unaware of how injury can affect a person’s health, well-being, mood and development can provide information or ask questions that may seem seemingly respectable but make the client uncomfortable, even recovering traumatic experience.
A non-trauma-informed motivational interview method may be:
- Ask in situations where client sharing is not comfortable
- Ignore the social determinants of health
- Use triggering or judgmental language
- Ignore cultural, historical, and gender issues that affect client communication methods and what they feel comfortable talking about, values and decision-making processes, and more.
The value of a Trauma-informed procedures Help fill the gaps in motivational interviews to serve people who have experienced trauma. Content and goals may be the same in both trauma-informed and non-trauma-informed motivational interviews, but how health professionals ask questions may be different.
For example, a motivational interview method that is not trauma-aware may form a question phrase as a statement or order:
“So you mentioned that you didn’t have a good experience with your previous health coach. I’m sorry about that. Tell me about this. “
Although the health trainer is sympathetic and seems respectful, the information that the coach wants to have access to (what happened that made the client feel like they did not have a good experience) has been described as a demand. It does not promote the feeling of choice or acknowledge that the client may not feel comfortable or secure talking about it.
Instead, there may be a trauma-informed version of the previous question:
“In your previous response, you mentioned that, overall, you did not have a good experience with your health coach. It was definitely hard, and I’m sorry. Would you feel comfortable telling me why you think so? The information will help me to respect your needs and avoid repeating the same mistake. “
Although the goal of both communications is to hear the same information from the client, the second response helps to increase the perception of security and preferences as well as clarifies why the information may be relevant.
Main Takeaways
Trauma-informed motivational interviewing is a tool for building an authentic connection with your client, understanding their situation and way of thinking, and creating a non-judgmental space for critical thinking and problem solving.
Remember, however, that no single strategy is the end-of-all approach. Even with clients who respond constructively to trauma-informed motivational interviews, it should be combined with other methods and tools you deem appropriate, including communication techniques for information transmission, goal setting, modeling, and action learning, and visualizing the situation. .
If you would like to conduct trauma-informed motivational interviews with your clients, try your best to keep the lines of communication open so that you can get feedback on how you are feeling with their progress, how you can improve and whether they are experiencing trauma. Information motivational interviewing is an effective tool for them.
References
- https://commonfund.nih.gov/behaviorchange
- https://www.safetylit.org/citations/index.php?fuseaction=citations.viewdetails&citationIds[]= citjournalarticle_204313_20
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1942602X15576777
- https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/33/8/1741/39134/A-Randomized-Controlled-Trial-Comparing
- https://journals.lww.com/jopte/Abstract/2015/29020/The_Use_of_Motivational_Interviewing_in_Physical.9.aspx
- https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf
- https://depts.washington.edu/fammed/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/501MI.pdf