You're guiding a client through change. How can you help them uncover their core values?

2 Reflect Deeply

Once you've shared your experiences, it's time to reflect on them. Consider the moments when you felt most alive or fulfilled—what were you doing? Who were you with? Reflection is a mirror that can reveal your core values, sometimes hidden in plain sight within your memories and stories. This introspection is a cornerstone of Motivational Interviewing, where you're encouraged to listen to your inner voice and identify the values that give meaning to your actions.

3 Listen Intently

Listening is not just about hearing words; it's about understanding the emotions and beliefs behind them. As you talk about your life, listen intently to your own narrative. What consistently brings you joy, satisfaction, or a sense of pride? These emotional responses are clues to your core values. In Motivational Interviewing, your role is to be an active listener to your own story, picking up on the nuances that reveal what you hold dear.

4 Question Thoughtfully

Asking yourself thoughtful questions can unearth values that you may not have recognized before. What causes or issues do you feel passionate about? When do you feel compelled to take a stand? These questions can act as a shovel, digging into the soil of your experiences to uncover the roots of your values. In Motivational Interviewing, strategic questioning helps you to challenge and clarify your own beliefs, leading to greater self-awareness.

5 Summarize Regularly

Periodically summarizing what you've discussed can help solidify your understanding of your core values. It's like taking a step back to view a mosaic—each piece is important, but it's the collective image that reveals the full picture. By summarizing, you can see the patterns in your thoughts and behaviors that point to your underlying values. This technique from Motivational Interviewing allows you to consolidate your insights and ensures that nothing important is overlooked.

6 Plan Purposefully

Finally, with a clearer understanding of your core values, you can begin to plan purposefully for change. How will these values guide your decisions and actions moving forward? This planning phase is an exciting opportunity to align your life with what matters most to you. By using your core values as a compass, you can navigate through change with confidence and authenticity. Motivational Interviewing provides the framework for this intentional planning, helping you to set goals that are congruent with your true self.