If a particular treatment is not agreed to the treatment assistants will collaboratively select a more beneficial therapy option during the admissions process. If you or a loved one wishes to incorporate MET into their tailored treatment plan, we will arrange an initial session with one of our specialist therapists. It is important for both therapist and client to feel comfortable and confident that a positive rapport can be formed. We find that our clients respond positively to this empathic approach as we recognize that change can be daunting at any stage of life. At United Recovery CA, we employ MET in conjunction with our range of therapeutic treatments.

It had been hypothesized that clients high in alcohol dependence would do better in TSF whereas those lower in that trait would benefit more from CBT. Aftercare clients low in alcohol dependence had better outcomes when treated with CBT than TSF, (i.e., abstinence on 96% of post-treatment days vs. 89%). However, at higher levels of dependence, the better treatment choice was TSF, (i.e., 94 vs. 84% days abstinent).

Bipolar Disorder

These may have instigated the turn towards substances in an attempt to alleviate psychological discomfort, or they may have arisen as a result of the substance’s effect on the brain, body, and overall quality of life. Additionally, while decreasing or abstaining from substance use, other addictions may emerge, such as sex, gambling, shopping, or food. Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is a powerful tool used to develop and evoke internally motivated change. If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction, the path to recovery can seem long, arduous, and sometimes impossible.

Often applied to substance use issues, MET can be applied to other problems such as gambling disorders, eating disorders, and PTSD. Finding a provider and talking about how MET can help you reach your goals is the first step. https://stylevanity.com/2023/07/top-5-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-choosing-sober-house.html (MET) is an effective intervention to help people stay motivated while changing their behavior. So, individuals can anticipate discussing challenges and maintaining motivation.

A Look at Substance Abuse in the U.S.

As the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes, evidence suggests that the efficacy of this approach tends to be mixed when it comes to substances other than alcohol and marijuana. Here, researchers suggest that people with mental illnesses may express symptoms of disordered thinking in their MET sessions. This disordered thinking can be harmful to the recovery process, but even so, practitioners shouldn’t correct the thoughts or identify the incorrect statements. Instead, they should allow those symptoms to float by completely unremarked upon.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy uses motivational interviewing (MI) as its core process. In MET, the therapists meet the client in whichever stage they are in, and the goal is to assist them in moving through each of these stages. According to this model, the contemplation and determination stages are the most critical (Miller, 1992). This could happen as soon as the second session, depending on the client’s initial motivation. The tools used in this phase are reviewing progress, renewing motivation, and redoing commitment.

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In addition, a patient’s self-efficacy for change is assessed, and the patient is guided to talk about prior successful behavioral changes, and any optimism for change is reflected and highlighted (Prochaska et al., 1992). MET has been used in both inpatient and outpatient settings, from one session (brief intervention) to several months of weekly sessions. Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) is a therapeutic approach aimed at helping individuals identify and resolve ambivalence regarding alcohol and other drug use. Also referred to as motivational interviewing, MET focuses on increasing motivation and setting goals. This therapeutic approach involves an assessment followed by several (3-6) weekly sessions encouraging discussion surrounding substance use and evoking change talk or motivational statements. MET strategies include setting goals, planning for change, and encouraging internal motivation.

Motivational enhancement therapy acknowledges that resistance is a common challenge to achieving treatment goals. Rather than fighting resistance, MET counselors look for ways to minimize it and encourage the individuals to develop an internal desire to change. By helping you identify the issues that might be holding you back from being fully committed, MET can help you clear that barrier. Continue reading to learn all about this effective evidence-based treatment method. Therapists should always avoid argumentation, even if they aren’t yet seeing positive change after the first session or second session.

The therapist’s job in this counseling approach is to express empathy, facilitate self-motivation, and show respect to the client. Engagement is the first element of motivational enhancement therapy, and it involves building a therapeutic relationship between the client and practitioner beginning at the initial assessment. This means creating an environment where open communication can occur without judgment or criticism. While you don’t have to understand the exact techniques behind motivational enhancement therapy (MET), it can be helpful to understand what you’re doing and what therapists treating individuals with MET are trying to accomplish. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a counseling approach designed to help individuals resolve ambivalence about their alcohol and/or drug use, and support efforts to change it. Developed by two clinical psychologists, Stephen Rollnick and William R. Miller, MET is an alternative to 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

In this first phase, assessment results are reviewed and the therapist provides structured feedback. The client is presented with the negative consequences of their substance abuse behavior. The phase is complete when the client expresses a genuine commitment to change. At the time, Miller’s writing was in contrast with the more “confrontational” approaches common in residential substance use disorder treatment. Specifically, clinicians and potentially other patients directly challenged individuals about the severity of their drinking if they were resistant to the idea they had a problem.