In my grad program, we keep hearing "use motivational interviewing," but the examples feel vague. I had a practice session with a client simulating ambivalence about therapy, and I just froze, falling back into giving advice. I need to move beyond the textbook definition. What's a really good resource you know that breaks down what motivational interviewing truly looks like in a real conversation? I learn best from concrete examples.

Same thing happened to me the first time I tried MI—I opened my mouth and out came a stream of advice, not curiosity. What finally helped was seeing how pros actually talk when someone’s torn. This blog breaks MI into small moves with real dialogue, not just buzzwords: benefits of motivational interviewing . After reading, I practiced with a roommate debating a job change and noticed I stopped pushing my fixes and started uncovering her reasons, which felt way more natural.