Motivational enhancement therapy is one of the addiction treatment therapies that are offered at Sierra Sage Recovery Services. Engaging clients in our motivational enhancement therapy at our Las Vegas facility helps guide them towards increasing their confidence in changing their substance abuse behaviors. It also serves to help the client increase their responsiveness to substance abuse treatment.

What is Motivational Enhancement Therapy?

Motivational enhancement therapy is a client-centered approach that guides a client towards making positive changes in their life. It increases their internal motivations to make those changes. The therapist uses an empathetic yet direct approach to help the client explore and resolve their ambivalence or resistance to change. The therapist helps to lead the client towards self-motivation and the commitment to change.

Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is not limited to one type of rehab or treatment program. The approach can be used across outpatient treatment programs, intensive outpatient treatment programs, residential treatment for substance abuse disorders, or a client who needs dual diagnosis treatment. It is effective in a variety of situations where change is needed in a client’s life.

Some facts about motivational enhancement therapy include:

• Helps clients resolve their hesitancy toward changing their addiction behaviors
• Focuses on a client’s readiness and motivation to change rather than the therapist imposing their point of view or opinions
• Focuses on the collaboration between the client and the therapist to help develop trust
• It builds on the prior successful behavioral changes and builds on the strengths of the client

Some other facts related to motivational enhancement therapy include that it involves the therapist being an active listener. The therapist uses reflective interpretations and summarizing instead of confrontation. This helps the client see the discrepancies between their stated goals and their substance abuse behaviors, which then elicits a willingness to change. It also involves supporting self-efficacy, with the therapist helping the client to become aware of their ability to commit to change. Motivational enhancement therapy demonstrates that the power to change rests solely on the client.

Long-Term Treatment Programs and Motivational Enhancement Therapy

Motivational enhancement therapy is a brief approach that may only involve a few sessions with the client, unlike long-term treatment. The client-centered counseling style involves the client talking about the pros and cons of their substance abuse and their non-compliance or their resistance to treatment. It does not involve the therapist becoming confrontational with a client because of their addiction or the consequences of their addictive behaviors. It does not include punitive measures for resistance from a client. Instead, it involves the therapist neutrally responding to the client without correcting the client’s statements or actions. Another difference between some types of treatment and motivational enhancement therapy is that it is typically used to motivate clients to enter treatment. The approach also focuses on the commitment to permanent change.

One step that takes place when a client first enters into a treatment program is that the staff develops a treatment plan for the client. On the other hand, the MET approach involves helping the client identify and develop meaningful goals. The client is in charge of setting their goals, and not the therapist. The client does receive support from the treatment professionals to elicit behavior changes. Therapists are available to offer other resources and approaches to each client, like cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.

Learn More about Motivational Enhancement Therapy at Sierra Sage Recovery Services

The caring staff at Sierra Sage Recovery Services are here to answer your questions and provide additional information about motivational enhancement therapy as a tool for recovery. Contact us for information about any of our addiction therapies and treatment programs. Call us at 702.880.8231 today to start your recovery journey.