Socratic dialogue and motivational interviewing in the clinic, with Bronnie Thompson

Communication with people in pain is the central focus, especially how clinicians can better understand a person’s perspective before offering education or treatment advice. Bronnie Lennox-Thompson explains two main approaches: Socratic dialogue and motivational interviewing, both grounded in curiosity, respect, collaboration, and humility rather than expert-driven instruction. Learners can expect a practical explanation of how to ask questions that uncover what a person already believes about their pain, how they interpret symptoms, and how family, past experiences, and fear influence their responses. Socratic questioning is presented as a way to explore these beliefs, reflect them back, and help patients test new experiences—such as changing breathing or movement—to draw their own conclusions. The second major theme is motivational interviewing, which focuses on ambivalence, readiness for change, and the balance between importance and confidence. The talk shows how to use scaling questions, reflective listening, and summaries to help people identify meaningful reasons to change and small next steps. Overall, the emphasis is on supporting self-management by listening well and aligning treatment with the person’s own values and priorities.