Breaking Down Barriers to Consistent Practice using Motivational Interviewing

Objective: Have you ever felt that your client was their own worst enemy in making progress towards their goals? The aim of this interactive workshop is to introduce practical techniques to use in the singing studio or voice therapy to address behavioral change and achieve better outcomes.

Design: This workshop will demonstrate how to use Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a tool to help clients break down barriers to a consistent practice routine. MI is a style of communication that uses practical techniques for skillful listening in a directive discussion, guiding behavior change (Behrman, 2006). MI has been shown to be effective in enhancing the therapeutic relationship between client and clinician, thereby facilitating goal setting in a collaborative environment, and promoting the client’s active engagement in therapy (Mcfarlane, 2012). These techniques can also be applied to the singing studio and student/teacher relationship, supporting behavioral change to achieve more consistent and efficient practice.

MI is well-researched with 200+ randomized trials to support positive effects, though it initially emerged independent of an evidence-based theory to rationalize its efficacy. However, MI’s authors argue Self-Determination Theory (SDT) can help us understand its effectiveness in practice (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). SDT is a theory of motivation with 40+ years of empirical support; SDT posits that when people have the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competency, and relatedness met, they experience more engagement in treatment and internalize values and skills needed to maintain better outcomes over time (Deci and Ryan, 2017).

In this workshop, we will show how to use MI in interactions with clients or singing students. We will explore MI’s four guiding principles: expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy. Application of MI involves combining specific communication skills and techniques with these guiding principles. The 4 key skills are Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflections, and Summaries (Mcfarlane, 2012). We will use experiential learning with mock interviews and audience participation to demonstrate these skills.

Results/Conclusions: Participants will leave with new strategies that they can immediately implement to help their clients or students better achieve their vocal goals.