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Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness

By Dawn Clifford, Phd, RD and Laura Curtis, MS, RD

Course Description

Making and maintaining lasting changes in nutrition and fitness is not easy for anyone. Yet the communication style of a health professional can make a huge difference. This book presents the proven counseling approach known as motivational interviewing (MI) and shows exactly how to use it in day-to-day interactions with clients. MI offers simple yet powerful tools for helping clients work through ambivalence, break free of diets and quick-fix solutions, and overcome barriers to change. Extensive sample dialogues illustrate specific ways to enhance conversations about meal planning and preparation, exercise, body image, disordered eating, and more. Reproducible forms and handouts can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8½” x 11″ size. Instructors requesting a desk copy from Guilford will be emailed a link to supplemental PowerPoint slides and exam questions. This title is part of the Applications of Motivational Interviewing Series, edited by Stephen Rollnick, William R. Miller, and Theresa B. Moyers.

About the Authors

Dawn Clifford, PhD, RD, is Associate Professor and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics in teh Department of Nutririon and Food Science at California State University, Chico. In addition, she cofounded and is currently Director of FitU, a peer mentoring nutrition and exercise counselling program on campus. She received the Outstanding Dietetic Educators and Preceptors, a practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Clifford conducts research and is an accomplished speaker in the areas of motivational interviewing and no- diet approaches to health and wellness. She published several research articles in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior and written curricula for Today’s Dietitian and Nutrition Dimensions. She is a memeber of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).

Learning Objectives

Chapter 1 The Complexities of Lifestyle Change

  1. Describe the transtheoretical model
  2. Discuss ambivalence.
  3. State an example of change talk, sustain talk and change talk and sustain talk.
  4. Describe the false-hope syndrome.
  5. Describe the dieter’s cycle.
  6. Discuss the righting reflex.
  7. Define autonomy and empathy.

Chapter 2 The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing

  1. Define the expert trap.
  2. Discuss the four ways a practitioner conveys acceptance.

Chapter 3 Engaging and Focusing

  1. Discuss the four processes of motivational interviewing.
  2. Describe the engaging process.
  3. List the three benefits to being a good listener.
  4. Discuss agenda mapping.
  5. Describe the three styles when determining the focus.

Chapter 4 Evoking

  1. Describe the acronym DARN CAT.
  2. Discuss scaling questions.

Chapter 5 Planning for Change

  1. Compare the role of client and practitioner.
  2. Discuss the elicit-provide-elicit model.
  3. Compare practitioner-led goal setting and client-led goal setting.

Chapter 6 Open-Ended Questions

  1. Compare open-ended and closed-ended questions.
  2. Describe digging deep questions and hypothetical questions.
  3. Compare strengths-based questions with goals and values questions.
  4. Describe looking-forward, looking-back and disarming questions.

Chapter 7 Affirmations

  1. Define affirmation and discuss the benefits.

Chapter 8 Reflections

  1. Define reflective (active) listening and state the three times when it is especially important to reflect.
  2. Describe the following reflections: simple, complex, double-sided, undershooting, and amplified.

Chapter 9 Summaries

  1. Describe a summary.
  2. Describe OARS and the goal.

Chapter 10 When Clients Aren’t So Sure about Change

  1. Define discord.
  2. Compare the question-answer trap and the expert trap.
  3. Compare cheerleading with affirming.
  4. Describe the overload trap, jump-to-planning trap, and the expert trap.

Chapter 11 What to Do When There’s Little Time

  1. State methods for shortening the four processes of motivational interviewing: engage, focus, evoke and plan.
  2. List the six strategies consistent with motivational interviewing when a full session is not possible.

Chapter 12 Clarifying Health Misinformation and Exploring Unhealthy Beliefs

  1. Discuss several methods of correcting misinformation.

Chapter 13 Putting Motivational Interviewing to Work in Nutritional Counseling

  1. Discuss the engaging process of motivational interviewing.
  2. State strategies to use when discussing meal preparation with clients.
  3. Define food acceptance.
  4. Discuss the research on restriction.
  5. Describe habituation and mindful eating.

Chapter 14 Putting Motivational Interviewing to Work in Fitness Counseling

  1. Describe autonomous motivation and the self determination theory.
  2. Discuss intuitive exercise.
  3. Describe controlled motivation.
  4. List the common barriers to consistent physical activity.
  5. Describe the three common traps when thinking about physical activity.

Chapter 15 Putting Motivational Interviewing to Work to Address Weight Concerns and Disordered Eating

  1. Define weight bias.
  2. Discuss Health At Every Size.
  3. List the five Health At Every Size principles.