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Essay / Using therapeutic communication
Changing established habits and making changes to lifestyle choices, in order to improve well-being, can be quite difficult, so simply giving advice to patients in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle usually presents obstacles such as resistance. , inaction and persistent poor health (Watkins, 2018). Advice such as exercise and diet, following appropriate medications, and routine monitoring are examples of health-promoting behaviors that can prevent complications and improve well-being (Dellasega, Gabbay, Durdock, & Martinez- King, 2010). However, it is important that health professionals intervene to encourage patients to engage and take beneficial precautions for better health behaviors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayMotivational interviewing (MI), originally developed for use with people struggling with addictive behaviors (by example, drugs and alcohol), is now used for a variety of health problems. It has evolved from being a person-centered therapy and now aims to encourage the individual to recognize the need for change and take specific steps to progress through that change (Dellasega, Gabbay, Durdock, & Martinez-King, 2010). Additionally, patients are always encouraged to explore their own beliefs and values they may have towards or against a behavior they wish to change. Motivational interviewing specifically emphasizes the importance of considering each person's distinct perspectives when discussing a treatment plan (Dellasega, Gabbay, Durdock, & Martinez-King, 2010). Through the use of therapeutic communication and relationship building, healthcare professionals are able to empower patients. strive and make these behavioral changes. Motivational interviewing is purely an approach that actively involves patients and builds on their primary motivation for change. The following will identify specific elements of motivational interviewing that are used to help patients change their health behaviors. It will examine Alistair's case and link it to how the transtheoretical model of change can be used to support it. He will do this by describing and using the stages of the cycle of change in his care. Establish rapport and set agenda Pre-contemplation and contemplation Establishing rapport between the interviewer and patient is an important step in making the patient feel comfortable and relaxed. This allows the interviewer to reach a level of trust that allows the patient to accept and process all suggestions and processes. It further creates a comfortable environment that encourages examining problems and discovering personal reasons for change. It is important that the interviewer takes into account the patient's own perspectives, values and feelings, then adopting an attitude of acceptance. However, this does not compromise approval or agreement, ambivalence is expected and therefore must also be acknowledged (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999). In the pre-contemplation stage, patients are not yet taking action and are unaware that their current behaviors, habits or lifestyle choices may have a negative effect on their health. During this stage, the patient focuses on the “what ifs” of the change idea rather than the benefits. In Alistair's case, he belongs to this stage because he isconcerned and initiated the thought of change. However, contemplation is when the patient intends to take action to improve their behavior, but may still be ambivalent (LaMorte, 2018). Assessing readiness for change and refining direction: determining A study conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics collected data from 2014 to 2015 regarding the rate of obesity in Australia. It showed that within the adult population alone (18 years and over), 63.4% of this population are overweight or obese (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015). Rates of obesity were also found to increase with age, with four in five men (in their 40s and above) being overweight in 2014-15. With obese patients, it is important to discuss specific interventions. In patients suffering from orthopedic pathologies, obesity is a common and increasing pathology. Not only does this affect the healthcare system and the body itself, but it also represents a huge setback to individual patient care and affects bone and joint health (American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 2015). It is important to assess the patient's motivation to change and understand where they stand on the idea. There may be an action plan in place to encourage behavior change. As far as Alistair is concerned, a dietary intervention would be a beneficial course of action in order to achieve a long-term weight loss goal. This allows Alistair to become aware of the negative lifestyle and confront it with discrepancies (LaMorte, 2018). Alistair should also be encouraged to demonstrate self-efficacy so that he and the interviewer believe that he is capable of achieving his goal. Identifying ambivalence and eliciting self-motivating statements: Action ambivalence is where a patient may have mixed feelings about their plan to change behavior and may pretend that their problems are not that serious at all (LaMorte, 2018). Lack of motivation can manifest this feeling and therefore needs to be recognized. The concept of ambivalence can be the positive or negative evaluation of the behavior change and should be identified early (Sipilä, 2017) . Once Alistair is ready and recognizes that through his action plan he will succeed in losing weight, he must be fully committed to the change process. We need to help Alistair understand that his daily life could be much better once he makes the change in behavior. Miller and Rollnick identified four different types of self-motivational statements, including: cognitive recognition, affective expression of concern, direct or implicit intention to change behavior, optimism about one's behavior, capacity to change (LaMorte, 2018). These statements illustrate the different self-motivational statements that can be recognized. Patients should be encouraged through the process of thinking about change and once the patient uses self-motivational statements it will become evident that they have made progress. Managing resistance and shifting attention: interview Once the therapeutic process is well underway, resistance may appear. If resistance appears, it could be due to a lack of motivation on the part of the patient or a lack of motivation of the approach for the patient themselves (LaMorte, 2018). The patient may exhibit unusual behavior patterns; argue, ignore, interrupt denial (Australian Institute of Professional Counselors, 2015). As the patient may feel resistant to change, it is important to maintain personal control and choice over their specific problem and to continue to remind themselves that this resistance (much like other feelings) is entirely.