Motivational INterviewing
Why It Matters
If you’ve ever tried to change a behavior, like quitting smoking, eating healthier or reducing stress, you know how complicated it can feel.
That’s why our First Breath health educators use a powerful technique called Motivational Interviewing (MI) to help support participants through their journey.
At first, the name might sound a little misleading. When people hear “motivational,” they might picture a pep talk or a cheerleader hyping someone up. But MI isn’t about pushing people or giving them energy to change. At its core, MI is about listening.
What Is Motivational Interviewing?
MI is a patient-centered, evidence-based counseling style designed to help individuals resolve ambivalence and strengthen their internal motivation for behavior change. It doesn’t tell someone what to do. Instead, it invites them to reflect on their values, goals and the reasons they might want to change.
This technique is especially helpful when someone feels stuck. When part of them wants to change, but another part isn’t quite ready. Rather than pushing people toward change, MI walks alongside them, creating a respectful, empathetic space to sort through those mixed feelings.
The Five Stages of Change
MI often goes hand-in-hand with something called the Transtheoretical Model, or stages of change. Understanding where someone is in the process can help guide the conversation and provide the right kind of support. Here are the five stages:
- Precontemplation: Not yet considering change
- Contemplation: Thinking about change, but not ready to act
- Preparation: Getting ready and planning for change
- Action: Taking steps to change behavior
- Maintenance: Working to sustain new habits and prevent relapse
Our health educators meet each participant wherever they are on this journey, offering the tools and encouragement to move forward at their own pace.
Reflections from Our First Breath Team
Lacey, one of our health educators, shared:
“Coming from a medical background, it’s amazing to see a tool used that actually embodies the phrase ‘patient-centered care.’ Motivational Interviewing has shown me that helping people is not just about the doing, it’s more about hearing each person’s voice.”
Kalin, another member of our team, emphasized how MI helps build trust:
“Many of the participants I meet with are working through a variety of emotional, physical, and social challenges. MI offers a respectful and empathetic approach that helps pregnant and recently postpartum people feel heard and empowered.”
Why It Matters
For the individuals we serve through the First Breath program, behavior change isn’t just about willpower. It’s about navigating real-life barriers, emotions and challenges. MI gives our educators the tools to be effective allies–not by fixing, but by partnering with participants as they build healthier futures.
And Lacey shared with us that this approach isn’t limited to health care. It’s useful in schools, homes, workplaces, and anywhere someone might need support in making a meaningful change.
Motivational Interviewing helps people feel seen, heard and capable of change. And that’s why it’s a cornerstone of our work at First Breath.
This article was originally published in the Fall 2025 print edition
of the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation Newsletter.
To learn more about how First Breath supports participants across Wisconsin, visit wwhf.org/firstbreath.