TALKING ABOUT CHANGE TALK. Copyright: Paul Burke Training

Transcription

1 TALKING ABOUT CHANGE TALK

2 Most conversations evoke either: 1. Change Talk 2. Sustain Talk

3 Self-Perception Theory: I know what I think when I hear myself speak Daryl Bem (Self-Perception theory)

4 So, what does that mean about how we communicate when specific changes are the goal?: 1. It means we need to learn how to get people talking in helpful (change focused) ways, and 2. It means we need to learn how to get people to hear what they say about making specified changes

5 Change Talk is A generic term used to encompass all recognized types of client talk that hint at movement in the direction of the intended change (desire for change, reasons why the change would be helpful, etc.)

6 Change Talk Is contextual (specific to a particular behavior change target. E.g. desire to win a Ferrari or needing to pour a drink are not likely to be target behaviors or change talk). Eliciting Change Talk is an essential part of how MI works

7 MI evokes Desire Ability Reasons Need Preparation Talk Mobilization Language 5.b CHANGE!

8 That DARN Language! (Preparatory Language) Desire (I Want to ) Ability (I know I am Able To/Can ) Reason (I know I Should/Ought To ) Need (I Must/Have To )

9 DESIRE I d like to be able to make a change ABILITY I ve made big changes in my life before. I know I can do this REASON Even my doctor says that I should take this more seriously NEED- I can t go through the rest of my life just repeating this same old record COMMITMENT I am going to do this. I have decided to do it TAKING STEPS I went to see a Counsellor yesterday, even though I didn t really know if it would help

10 Activation Language As clients become willing to try (to start pushing), the change process can become activated. I guess I ll try I think I m ready to I m willing to do it

11 That DARN-CAT Desire/ Ability/ Reason/ Need (leads to ) Commitment Language! -Commitment -Activation -Taking Steps

12 And then there is: Sustain Talk Natural language also contains statements of desire, ability, reasons, need, and commitment that favour sustaining the status quo rather than changing. This should not be mistaken for resistance. Sometimes arguing for the status quo is just a normal part of verbalizing the status quo side of ambivalence

13 SUSTAIN TALK CHANGE TALK I don t want to and I hope I don t have to I can t do it anyway. No way DESIRE ABILITY I want to and I hope I can I guess I could do. It might work out ok I have no reason to do this. REASON If I don t do this, then It makes no difference. I don t need it. NEED I ve got to do something about this. I just have to. I m not going to do it. Nope. COMMITMENT I am going to follow-thru here I m not going to and you can t make me I ve done nothing about it and I don t care. It s not important. ACTIVATION TAKING STEPS I think I m willing to try. I m ready to give it a go This week I didn t eat desserts even once! I walked every day too 13

14 3 Skills in Working With Change Talk 1. Recognize it when you hear it 2. Elicit it when you re not hearing it 1. Respond to it every time it emerges

15 Listen For Change Talk! Recognition of Status Quo -I guess it s worse than I thought -Maybe I ve been taking foolish risks -I can see this will be big trouble if I don t make some changes Intention To Change -I ve got to do something about this. -This isn t want I want for my family. What can I do? -I don t know how I m going to do it, but I am going to get through this. -I think it s time for me to take a serious look at this Optimism About Change -I know I could do it if I decided to -If I put my mind to something, it gets done! I ve made changes like this before. It took me a few tries but I did it Recognition of +Change -If I could do this I would have a lot more time and money -My kids would like it. They re always after me to quit -At least it would get the courts off my back

16 If you don t recognize change talk You won t know where to dig!

17 The DARN Problem With Change Talk is That Not All Of It Leads To Change! Of the DARN-C types of language, Amrhein s research indicated that the first four were not predictive of behaviour change, but rather, were antecedent in increasing strength of commitment. (MINT Bulletin, Vol. 13(2)

18 In other words It is not the frequency of change talk, but rather it is the strength of the change talk that predicts positive outcome. Thus, DARN predicts commitment to change, and commitment predicts positive behavioural change. (W.R. Miller, pers. Com., Miami, Florida, Dec 1, 2006)

19 MI evokes Desire Ability Reasons Need Preparation Talk Mobilization Language 5.b CHANGE!

20 And Taking Steps A recent history of taking small steps in the direction of the preferred change is a sure sign that a client is preparing for change (doing some How to reading, for example)

21 When Responding to Change Talk Use Your EARS E: Elaborating: Asking for elaboration, more detail, in what ways, an example, etc. A: Affirming commenting positively on the person s statement R: Reflecting, continuing the paragraph, etc. S: Summarizing collecting bouquets of change talk

22 The ultimate pearl that we are working for in MI is Commitment Language: A decision to take action is obvious in this kind of talk. This is the most potent predictor of change, and we need to learn to listen up for it, as it is sometimes subtle

23 Drumming For Change Talk (and Massaging The Pearls )