The Use of Motivational Interviewing to Manage Behavioral Changes in Hand Injured Clients

Individuals vary in the degree in which they are willing to make significant changes in areas of their daily life, especially after an illness or injury. Motivational interviewing (MI) has been used to predict a persons' readiness to change and to build the necessary intrinsic motivation that is needed to make difficult changes. The article describes the stages of change model and strategies that can be applied to patients in different stages of change. Vignettes are provided to apply the various principles of MI and to assist hand therapists with an approach that supports the recovery efforts of their patients.