What is Motivational Enhancement Therapy & How Does it Work?
When you’re engaging in self-destructive behaviors, it can be hard to find a way out. That could include everything from drug addiction to alcohol abuse. As much as you might want to put an end to these harmful habits, it’s often easier said than done. While there are plenty of programs designed to help you overcome those self-destructive actions, Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) just might be one of the best solutions.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect from Motivational Enhancement Therapy, how it works, and why it might be the right option for you.
What Is the Goal of Motivational Enhancement Therapy?
The main goal of MET is to help an individual struggling with damaging behaviors to change. It’s especially effective for those who are resisting change or who might not think they “need” to make a shift. MET brings those issues to light, helping to raise awareness that there’s a problem. For example, if someone is struggling with alcohol addiction, MET might help them see how their addiction is affecting their relationships or their career.
The second goal is to raise that individual’s self-defeating thoughts associated with that problem. Often, it stems from self-deprecating thoughts or a negative situation that spiraled out of control. Using the same example, that might include getting to the root cause of alcohol addiction.
One of the major differences between MET and many other types of talk therapy or treatment programs is that the therapist doesn’t simply identify the problem and tell you what to do. Instead, the therapist will encourage you to use self-motivational tools to understand and change the problem.
What Are the Five Motivational Principles?
Throughout your sessions, your therapist will focus on five motivational principles to help you move forward. Those principles are:
Expressing empathy
Developing discrepancies
Avoiding argumentation
Diffusing resistance
Encouraging self-efficacy
Ultimately, the therapist’s role is to help you better understand your ability to succeed. When you’re in the midst of self-destructive behaviors, your thoughts are often just as self-destructive. By the time you’ve completed the MET process, you should not only have experienced behavior modifications, but you should feel a stronger ability to take action in the future and find success in overcoming those negative thoughts.
You won’t experience any judgment or discrimination throughout each session. It’s not the job of the therapist to “blame” you for any self-destructive behaviors. Instead, they will work with you to identify where you’re struggling and why. You’ll discover more about yourself so that you can use those discoveries as greater motivational tools.
Simply put, you’ll move from a mindset of resistance or ambivalence to a mindset of change. When you start to realize you have the power to make those changes, you’re more likely to find the motivation to do so.
Is MET Right For You?
MET has proven to be effective for almost anyone struggling with drug use or any kind of addiction or abuse of a substance. Although it isn’t as widely used for conditions like eating disorders and anxiety, it has had some success in those areas, too.
Perhaps the best thing about this therapy is that it’s especially successful for individuals who are really struggling to put a stop to their self-destructive behaviors on their own. If you’ve been resisting change or you’ve been trying to ignore how these negative behaviors are affecting your life, MET could be perfect for you.
If you’re interested in learning more about Motivational Enhancement Therapy or you’re ready to take the next steps and set up an appointment, don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.