How to stop talking and start communicating with Motivational Interviewing A behavior therapists guide on how to effectively collaborate with caregivers

We walk the walk, but do we talk the talk? As clinicians, do we speak with parents or to them? Is it effective in motivating them to adhere to interventions or do you find that sometimes they inhale and exhale at the sight/sound of parent training sessions? Research shows that parents who receive parent training obtain better outcomes out of their children's treatment, decrease their overall expenditures in therapy and become empowered to maintain these behavior changes over time. However, while parents are bringing their children to treatment (which is indicative of their desire to find help, unless of course, they are mandated by court), it is still a challenge to help parents follow through with interventions at home. Without addressing the etiology of parents' non-adherence or lack of consistency in treatment, it is impossible to help them move past these barriers. It has been found that parent and clinician's communication with one another supports whether parents will likely adhere to treatment. Surprisingly as clinicians in the field, we are not trained on how to effectively communicate with clients. Sure, we learn the theory; we practice and practice some more, and we even read and write about it. But is that enough? How to stop talking and start communicating with Motivational Interviewing is a manual that;•Provides techniques to shape clinicians' communication approach and foster a working alliance with parents, teachers and other professionals working in the field of behavior analysis. •Explains how Motivational Interviewing (MI) is not just a patient-centered "mumbo jumbo" psychological approach but a patient (or caregiver) focused approach that aims to change behaviors by allowing parents to acknowledge their current needs and then move towards change. •Reviews current research on Parent Training (PT)•Outlines barriers to parental involvement•Discusses adaptive and maladaptive communication styles•Presents a behavior analytical conceptualization of motivation•Introduces the concepts of MI and provides examples and exercises to practice the concepts.•Introduces the transtheoretical model of behavior change •Reveals a program focused on increasing clinicians' awareness of their communication style with caregivers (and other professionals) and explain ways to modify current interactions to decrease noncooperation in the treatment process. •From the