Motivational Interviewing for LGBT Patients

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a counseling approach that facilitates and augments a patient’s internal motivations to change a health behavior in the context of their overarching goals. The MI process enhances the patient’s understanding of their uncertainty surrounding behavior change, guides the patient to resolve their ambivalence by weighing pros and cons, and motivates the patient to accomplish feasible and sustained goals. The patient-centric, nonjudgmental, and nonconfrontational nature of MI is a flexible and empathetic approach to working with LGBT-identified patients. When used correctly, MI is particularly helpful in promoting resilience within members of populations who have historically been told how to behave by shifting the locus of control within the individual. This chapter presents the basic principles of MI and provides examples for providers on how to effectively integrate this approach into everyday interactions with LGBT patients.