Affirmations in Motivational Interviewing

Download the Selfpause Affirmation App

In motivational interviewing, affirmations are used to help individuals explore and change their behavior. Motivational interviewing is a counseling approach that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to make positive changes in their lives. Ambivalence is the feeling of having both positive and negative emotions about something. In other words, when someone feels stuck between two options, they may be experiencing ambivalence about which direction to take. For example, a person may want to quit smoking cigarettes, but feel unsure about whether or not they can actually do it. In this case, affirmations can be used to help the individual explore their options and eventually make a decision about which route to take.