Alcoholism And Motivational Interviewing

2077 Words5 Pages

This paper discusses alcoholism, its behavior on individuals and its association with relevant health conditions. With the changing health care system, health care providers, nurses, and counselors have stepped into the arena of health promotion. A scenario case study was put together to depict the need for counseling individuals with risky behaviors and how it impacts their health. Recommendations and goals were incorporated into the clients counseling. Millers interviewing technique was used to guide the counseling session conducted with a person afflicted with alcoholism with the end resulting in behavior changes. Motivational interviewing is an approach based upon principles of experimental and social psychology, attribution, cognitive dissonance, and empathy placing emphasis on internal acceptance for change. Cognitive dissonance is created by contrasting the ongoing problem behavior with the behaviors negative effects. Empathy is incorporated to channel the conflict into a behavior change solution.

Introduction
With the changing health care system and an increased emphasis on cost-containment, the role of the nurse is expanding more and more into the arena of health promotion. Primary health care visits offer opportunities to identify and intervene with risky or harmful drinkers to reduce alcohol consumption. Nurses are in a unique position to influence the health of patients, communities, and nations using scientific and theoretical knowledge in health promotion counseling. More than 20% of clients receiving care can be categorized as risky drinkers but few receive the appropriate evaluation and less than 50% of alcohol screening is reported or used (Rose et al., 2008). This may be due to the fact that...

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...blem as well as their treatment. Miller suggests that client resistance is a product of the interaction with the counselor who uses confrontational interviewing style. Rather than counselors trying to convince the client to change, the counselor should draw out arguments for change. Such technique is the use of empathy in their style. Several studies supported that therapists behaviors influence clients treatment outcomes. It has been found that the more counselors confront the clients drinking the more the client will drink (Miller, 1993).
The one recommendation geared to the theory is describing what is considered motivational. The skill of Motivational interviewing is a counseling style not subjected to being used loosely with practitioners attempting to motivate his/her client in health promotion without the proper use of the theories steps.

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