In Motivational Interviewing, what adherence guideline is emphasized?

• A. Provide direct advice to fix problems
• B. Rely on lecturing about risks
• C. Argue to win the client over
• D. Avoid giving unsolicited advice and evoke change through questions

Answer: (D)

Motivational Interviewing works best when the counselor and client collaborate, respecting the client’s autonomy and guiding the conversation to elicit the client’s own reasons for change. The emphasized adherence guideline is to avoid giving unsolicited advice and to evoke change through questions. By using open-ended questions, reflections, and seeking permission before offering guidance, you help the client articulate their ambivalence and motivate themselves from within. Directly telling someone what to do, lecturing about risks, or arguing to win over the client tends to trigger resistance and undermine the client’s ownership of the change process.