Using a Trauma-Informed Approach for Treatment at Purpose
Have you ever met with a new therapist, determined to make changes in your life, only to have trouble opening up? Many people who have experienced trauma and/or substance abuse struggle to share their innermost thoughts and feelings.
This is where trauma based motivational interviewing can help.
Trauma-informed motivational interviewing brings together elements of motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care. It allows healthcare practitioners to modify therapeutic practices and encourage openness and trust in the doctor-patient relationship. This might include going at a slower pace, avoiding triggers, and validating emotions.
At Purpose Healing Center, our practitioners are trained in therapeutic approaches like trauma-based motivational interviewing. We believe that by adjusting to your needs, rather than trying to make you fit the mold of a specific type of therapy, you have the best chance of overcoming struggles and achieving desired treatment outcomes.
What is Trauma-Informed Motivational Interviewing?
The main goal of trauma-based motivational interviewing (TI-MI) is to establish a connection between clients and therapists. It combines elements of trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing, resulting in a therapeutic approach that benefits people struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
TI-MI may be used by health care practitioners, coaches, social workers, and other health care providers. It also has applications for court-ordered rehab clients and criminal justice workers. The client-driven approach lets you work at your own pace and take the reins during recovery.
There are four components of TI-MI essential to the process including engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning. Each of these four components helps clients build skills for overcoming unresolved trauma.
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
The goal of trauma-informed care is to anticipate client needs and avoid institutionalized processes likely to trigger traumatic responses. There’s a high emphasis on physical, emotional, and psychological safety while using evidence-based practices and therapies.
The emphasis on safety helps you feel in control while creating an environment that supports healing. Furthermore, trauma-informed care avoids institutional practices known to re-trigger trauma and damage the practitioner-client relationship.
There is a focus on trustworthiness, safety, empowerment, choice, and collaboration. For example, a therapist listens while expressing empathy, helping them learn more about the traumatic event you experienced without triggering further trauma.
Establishing these elements makes you feel safe, secure, and confident in sharing your experience with your therapist. This makes it possible to overcome obstacles to making positive changes in your life.
Common goals of this therapeutic approach include processing trauma and reflecting on how it affects your daily life. It puts you in the right mindset for treatment, resulting in better outcomes.
What is Motivational Interviewing?
Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented therapeutic approach. You’ll be invited to explore how trauma impacts your life in a compassionate, accepting atmosphere. This strengthens personal motivation for change and committing to the process of driving positive personal growth.
Trauma-Based Motivational Interviewing vs Traditional Motivational Interviewing
Trauma-informed motivational interviewing utilizes a slower approach than traditional motivational interviewing. This slower pace allows time for your therapist to establish a rapport by validating emotions, while also avoiding triggers that hinder communication progress.
A major component of TI-MI is clinicians being able to listen without judgment and use non-judgmental language. They also must keep emotions and boundaries in check. Clinicians should also ask open-ended questions and listen empathetically, making it easier for you to open up.
Five motivational interviewing micro skills benefit trauma survivors, helping them stay engaged during treatment. These skills include reflections, paraphrasing, reflective listening, change talk, and accepting ambivalence, or conflicting beliefs.
How Trauma Affects Communication
After surviving a traumatic event, it can be difficult to talk about what happened. You might struggle to put your feelings into words, use vague language, engage with others, or avoid discussing the experience altogether.
Traumatic experiences also cause anxiety and can shape how you feel about the world around you. It may be hard to trust others and you may lash out or isolate when triggered, affecting relationships with family, friends, and healthcare providers.
Survivors also often struggle with their feelings regarding the event. You may feel angry, sad, damaged, or ashamed. It might be hard to talk to someone about what you are feeling or you may feel as if they are secretly judging you.
Confusion surrounding your feelings and difficulties communicating can also cause problems with conflict resolution, self-expression, and emotional regulation. With trauma-informed care offered at Purpose, it becomes possible to overcome these communication barriers and progress toward your goals.
Who is a Good Candidate for Trauma-Based Motivational Interviewing?
Many clients benefit from the open, honest relationship that trauma-informed motivational interviewing establishes with mental health treatment clinicians. It is most effective for survivors of trauma, particularly those experiencing PTSD, depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders.
You’ll be able to access past trauma, break it down, and learn skills to overcome the damage that trauma often causes.
Trauma-informed motivational interviewing may also be used to de-escalate people who are suicidal or otherwise in crisis. It be used alone or with other therapies but is most effective in cases where trauma is present, whether from a recent stressful life event or unresolved trauma from childhood.
Our clients with co-occurring conditions (dual diagnosis treatment clients) also benefit from trauma-informed motivational interviewing. There is a high occurrence of co-occurring disorders and chronic disease in people who struggle with unresolved trauma, including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
Our Practitioners Pass the Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment
Not all therapists have the skill set necessary for motivational interviewing, much less trauma-based motivational interviewing. At Purpose, we ensure our therapists are well versed in the evidenced-based practice we offer, including skill development coaching and motivational interviewing.
The Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment (MICA) uses strategies and principles found in a book by Miller and Rollnick. It was developed by the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT board), including professionals Ali Hall, Susan Butterworth, Casey Jackson, and John Gilbert.
The Background of Trauma Informed Motivational Interviewing Approaches
Each of these professionals brings a valuable perspective. Co-author and developer Ali Hall studied organizational behavior at the graduate level at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.
She has also helped with international training at locations like Berlin, New Orleans, and Warsaw in her spare time. Hall is an independent consultant for the MI-TI course, which teaches effective therapy techniques.
MICA tests the presence of the five motivational interviewing micro skills while providing feedback for an instructor’s technique. Often, therapists learn these skills in a course. MI coding is used to let experts access information about treatment while still protecting patient confidentiality.
There are two parts of MI coding: motivational interviewing interventions and verbal interventions. Being skilled in both, while promoting self-efficacy, utilizing open-ended questions, and using non-judgmental language elicits effective responses from clients.
During the first session, this cutting-edge technique is used to help clients feel relaxed in therapy. This leaves you ready to engage with your therapist. From there, you’ll begin to address trauma and learn skills to lead a healthier, happier lifestyle.
What Trauma-Informed Motivational Interviewing Can Do for You
Across all areas, from physical to mental health, motivational interviewing can promote health behavior change. It is one of the leading evidence-based practices for treating complex clients and supporting self-efficacy, emotional regulation, and behavioral change.
MI-TI helps trauma survivors, those struggling with addiction, and countless others overcome struggles and reclaim their lives. Its principles encourage clients to engage in therapy and strive toward meeting treatment goals.
Trauma-informed motivational interviewing is also very beneficial in cases of co-occurring disorders. It helps with mental health behaviors and can help trauma survivors address difficult emotions from unresolved issues.
There are also instances where it is helpful for eating disorders, substance abuse, post-traumatic disorder (PTSD), and even wraparound services. Proper training makes it easier for professionals to assess clients and recommend therapeutic techniques.
Heal Using Trauma-Informed Care at Purpose Healing Center
Trauma makes it harder to treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders, but it isn’t impossible and there is hope. Even if you’ve struggled opening up in the past, reach out to Purpose for more information on our evidence-based treatments today.
By training our behavioral health clinicians in the latest interventions and approaches to therapy, we help trauma survivors make meaningful changes in their lives. Trauma-informed motivational interviewing helps clients develop a toolkit to overcome struggles and promote health behavior change.
While this treatment is effective, it is far from the only style of therapy offered at Purpose Healing Center. Reach out to our team to learn more about how we are making incredible strides toward helping those struggling with trauma and substance abuse find a path to healing.
All calls are confidential, so please reach out for support now!
480-579-3319