Motivational interviewing for employment: An exploration of practitioner skill and client change talk

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidenced‐based approach for building and strengthening motivation for change. The effect of MI training on practitioner conversations with unemployed clients within a government work and income service was evaluated using a mixed‐method approach, comprising a multiple‐baseline across practitioner ( n = 5) design and a pre/post quasi‐experimental design. After workshop MI training, practitioners demonstrated greater MI skills in conversations with clients, and MI skills were maintained during the period of post‐workshop feedback and coaching. There was also more change talk spoken by clients in conversations that occurred post‐MI workshop training compared to pre‐training, suggesting increased motivation for change.