Evoking and planning

Motivational Interviewing is presented here through a practical demonstration of the evoking and planning stages. Using a case example of a man with back pain who is skeptical about exercise, the session shows how to explore ambivalence without arguing or pressuring. Learners see how change talk and resistance can appear in the same conversation, and how the practitioner keeps attention on the person’s own reasons for possible change while respecting choice. The explanation also revisits the four-process structure of Motivational Interviewing: engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning. Key communication skills are highlighted, including open questions, reflective listening, affirmations, and summaries. A central point is that success does not depend on getting an immediate commitment; reducing pressure may actually make change more likely. The lecture also explains how advice can be integrated into Motivational Interviewing rather than opposed to it. The Elicit–Provide–Elicit framework is introduced as a way to ask what someone knows, offer information with permission, and then explore what meaning they take from it. Research is briefly mentioned to support the overall approach.