Motivational Interviewing in Groups (Applications of Motivational Interviewing)

"Wagner and Ingersoll do a masterful job of showing how to integrate the spirit, strategies, and concepts of MI into group work in a consistent and credible manner. They describe in detail how to deal with the needs and perspectives of multiple group members while promoting the process of change for both individuals and the group. The book is filled with practical suggestions, scientific studies, and the rich experiences of pioneering practitioners who are integrating MI into different types of groups. The breadth and depth of the coverage is impressive, and the practical examples of interactions very helpful. This book should be required reading for anyone considering doing MI in groups."--Carlo C. DiClemente, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Maryland, Baltimore County

"Wagner and Ingersoll succeed in answering a question that practitioners of all stripes have been asking for 20 years: 'How do we do MI in groups?' Bringing to bear their talents as researchers, practitioners, and trainers, the authors have woven a tapestry of art and science. This is a soup-to-nuts guide on how to start and run different types of MI groups, including a trove of advice from the contributing authors about applications for specific populations. A welcome addition to the MI literature."--David B. Rosengren, PhD, Prevention Research Institute, Lexington, Kentucky; member, Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers

"This important book breaks new ground by comprehensively extending MI to group psychotherapy. It is particularly strong in its detailed suggestions about how to conduct MI groups, along with its interesting and informative case studies. Experienced and novice group therapists and MI practitioners can learn a great deal from this book."--Hal Arkowitz, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona; member, Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers

"Wagner and Ingersoll are to be commended for providing this engaging, relevant, and comprehensive book. Including chapters by other well-recognized experts, the authors put forth evidence-based therapeutic recommendations and identify important considerations for MI group practice. The book offers specific guidelines for developing groups for a variety of target populations. As a trainer of group therapy, I was particularly impressed with the depth of group practice facilitation skills communicated; this is rare to find."--Rebecca R. MacNair-Semands, PhD, Senior Associate Director, Counseling Center, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

"MI is about the therapist's attempts to mirror the client's own goals and desires, so that self-initiated change can begin. This book introduces a new kind of social mirroring for MI: the group setting. Through an insightful sequence of chapters, the book shows how peer interactions can assist in the change process. There are potential pitfalls--for example, group members might argue with rather than roll with each other's sticking points--but, fortunately, the book provides much practical information about how to focus and shape the group discourse for maximum utility. A rich blend of psychological insights is the result."--Kennon M. Sheldon, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri

"Motivational Interviewing in Groups is a very worthy effort to disseminate information about a clinical technique that can be extremely helpful in working with resistant clients. The authors and their colleagues are to be commended for their dedication in working with people who are often underserved, overlooked, or even shunned by the provider community. They have obviously done a tremendous amount of work in developing and practicing their techniques, and they have accomplished a great deal in demonstrating how MI can be taken out of the consulting room and into the group room."

"The outcomes for MI in groups show enhanced client accountability and group engagement. This book offers an exceedingly practical, accessible, and helpful roadmap to its use….As an instructive guide, this text not only affirms this method of practice in groups, but also offers a plethora of very helpful 'how-tos' with an array of client populations in a multitude of settings. Some of the most challenging clients who populate some of most complex groups are represented in this book. This amplifies this book’s relevance and utility….Prior to reading this book, my knowledge about MI was limited. After reading this book, I am interested in seeking training and integrating more of this into BSW and MSW curricula. Today's field is demanding it, and this book is a response to the yearning for greater knowledge and skills and the practical integration of different perspectives. I think this book belongs on the syllabi of clinical practice courses, group work courses, in social work and psychology programs. It is scholarly, accessible, and highly engaging. I have referred to it several times since first picking it up. I recommend this book to practitioners, teachers, field educators, and researchers. Field educators will find examples of interviewing questions that may provide ballast and comfort for anxious social work students who are looking for the words to say to their clients. This book comes at a much-needed time in the field, and I hope others will find it as useful as I do."

“Anyone who wants to develop an MI group or teach others to do so should consult Motivational Interviewing in Groups or adopt it as a textbook for his or her graduate class….Promises to be an important--perhaps even seminal--book that may usher group MI into its eventual heyday of research and practice.”

Christopher C. Wagner, PhD, is Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling, Psychology, and Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University. A clinical psychologist, he has led psychotherapeutic, psychoeducational, and support groups targeting addictive behaviors, sexual behaviors and identity, HIV disease coping, schizophrenia, and organ transplant, as well as general adult mental health and development. Dr. Wagner is a past president of the Society for Interpersonal Theory and Research and is a member and former steering committee member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). His research interests include interpersonal processes in MI and other therapies, and comparing MI with other therapeutic approaches.

Karen S. Ingersoll, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. A clinical psychologist, she has conducted psychotherapeutic, psychoeducational, and support groups targeting intimate partner violence, smoking cessation, relapse prevention for addictive behaviors, HIV treatment adherence, and women's health. Dr. Ingersoll is a corecipient of the Charles C. Shepard Science Award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for a study that reduced the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies using an MI intervention. She is a MINT member whose research tests MI as a foundational approach to improve health for people with health and addiction concerns.