Ambivalence is the focus, not the enemy
Wanting to drink less and not wanting to give up drinking can both be true at once. MI slows that conflict down and explores both sides honestly, instead of pushing you to pick one before you're ready.
Motivational interviewing · Arlington, VA
Motivational interviewing in Arlington, Virginia
A collaborative, evidence-based conversation style that helps you work through mixed feelings about change — without lectures, confrontation, or being told what you should want.
Ambivalence is normal. Most people who walk through our doors want to change something and also feel unsure about it. Motivational interviewing treats that as the starting point rather than a problem to argue with.
What it is
How motivational interviewing actually works
MI was developed by William Miller and Stephen Rollnick and is one of the most widely studied approaches in substance use treatment.
Partnership, not lecture
Your clinician acts as a partner in a conversation, not an authority delivering verdicts. Research consistently shows that confrontation raises defensiveness and lowers engagement — the opposite of what treatment needs.
Open questions and reflective listening
Sessions use open-ended questions, careful reflections, affirmations, and summaries — the OARS skills — so you hear your own reasoning back clearly enough to evaluate it.
Evoking change talk
Your clinician listens for and strengthens your own reasons for change — your language, your values, your goals — because arguments you make yourself hold up far better than arguments someone else makes for you.
Rolling with resistance
When you push back, we don't push harder. Pushback is information about what matters to you and what feels threatened, and MI treats it that way.
Supporting self-efficacy
Believing change is possible predicts whether it happens. MI deliberately draws attention to past successes, existing strengths, and small wins already in progress.
Your autonomy stays yours
MI is explicit that the decision is yours. That isn't a soft stance — it's what makes the commitment durable once you're outside the program day.
A bridge into deeper work
MI is often the on-ramp. Once motivation stabilizes, CBT, DBT, and trauma-focused work have something solid to build on.
Where it fits in your program
Motivational interviewing across every level of care
MI isn't a separate track — it's a conversational stance our clinicians use throughout your program, and a focused intervention when ambivalence is the main barrier.
015 days/week · ~6 hrs/day
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Used in individual sessions during early PHP weeks when readiness is still forming and pressure would backfire.
023–5 days/week
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Woven through individual work and relapse-prevention planning as goals shift with real-world demands like work and family.
03Weekly · ongoing
Outpatient therapy
A steady frame for weekly sessions, particularly for clients weighing decisions about substance use, medication, or a higher level of care.
04Virtual · Virginia residents
Telehealth across Virginia
MI translates well to video — it's a conversation, not an activity — so Virginia residents can access it from anywhere in the state.
Evidence & access
Strong evidence, especially early in treatment
Motivational interviewing has been studied in hundreds of randomized trials and is endorsed by SAMHSA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It shows consistent benefit for alcohol and drug use, treatment engagement, and follow-through on referrals — with the largest effects when ambivalence, not skill, is what's in the way. It pairs naturally with CBT, medication-assisted treatment, and family work.
Common questions
Motivational interviewing questions, answered
Is motivational interviewing just being nice about addiction?
No. MI is directive — it has a clear goal of strengthening your own motivation for change. It simply gets there through collaboration and honest exploration rather than confrontation, which research shows works better.
What if I'm not sure I want to stop using?
That's exactly who MI is for. You don't need to arrive certain. Being unsure is the normal starting point, and we can work productively from there.
How is MI different from CBT?
MI addresses whether and why you want to change; CBT builds the skills to do it. Most clients get both, often in the same week.
How long does it take?
MI is typically brief — meaningful shifts often show up within a handful of sessions — but our clinicians use the approach continuously throughout PHP, IOP, and outpatient care.
Does my family get involved?
They can. Family and couples sessions often use MI principles so loved ones can support change without slipping into arguing, bargaining, or ultimatums.
Is MI available by telehealth?
Yes, for Virginia residents. In-person PHP and IOP at our Arlington center serve clients from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
In-person care at 5400 Shawnee Road, Arlington, VA for VA, MD, and DC residents. Telehealth for Virginia residents only.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Get help today
Talk to someone who's done this before
Whether you're calling for yourself or for someone you love, the first conversation is free and completely confidential.
- Admissions — 24/7(571) 586-2883
- Location5400 Shawnee Road, Arlington, VA
Insurance accepted
Insurance coverage for motivational interviewing
MI is delivered within standard individual and group therapy sessions and is billed as part of your behavioral health benefit — never as an add-on. Most major commercial plans cover our programs, including Anthem, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Sentara Health Plans, UMR, and Johns Hopkins Health Plans. Send us your card and we'll verify benefits before you begin.
Don't see your plan? Call us — we also work with out-of-network benefits and self-pay.