Therapies · Motivational Interviewing · Phoenixville · Philadelphia · Avondale
Motivational interviewing is used from the first phone call onward at our Phoenixville, Center City Philadelphia and Avondale offices, and in virtual IOP across Pennsylvania.
You do not have to arrive certain that you want to quit. Being unsure is the normal starting point, and it is something we work with rather than argue against.
Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling style for resolving ambivalence about change. Instead of confronting or lecturing, the clinician helps you examine your own reasons for and against continuing.[1]
It works because the argument for change lands when you make it, not when someone makes it at you. Pressure tends to produce agreement in the room and nothing afterward.
In practice that means no shaming, no ultimatums, and no requirement that you announce lifelong sobriety at intake to be taken seriously.
MI also runs underneath everything else we do — CBT, DBT, family sessions and medication conversations all go better when the client is the one setting the goal.
Clinically reviewed by Andrea Kiotis, MA, LPC, CAADC — Clinical Director.
Last updated:
MI is a style more than a curriculum, so it shows up in the intake call, in individual therapy and in group.
Fewer interrogations, more room for you to say the real answer rather than the acceptable one.
Your clinician says back what they heard, which is often the first time someone hears their own situation clearly.
Nobody wrestles you into agreeing. Pushing back produces defense, and defense produces dropout.
An honest look at what use gives you and what it costs — including the parts you are not ready to give up.
Noticing and building on your own statements about wanting something different, however small.
A plan you authored, which is far more durable than one handed to you at intake.
Want to know if motivational interviewing is right for you?
Call (610) 233-4342Choose the right schedule
Start with the support you need now, then step down as recovery becomes more stable.
About 6 hours a day · 5 days a week
Our most structured outpatient level of care, with a full clinical day at our Phoenixville, Philadelphia or Avondale office while you continue living at home.
Explore our PHP program →9–15 hours a week · Day or evening
A flexible in-person schedule for people who need substantial addiction treatment while balancing work, school, family or a step down from PHP.
Explore our IOP program →Secure online care · Statewide access
Clinically appropriate Pennsylvania residents can join structured groups and therapy from home without traveling to one of our three offices.
Explore our statewide virtual IOP →MI is especially useful early, when the question is not how to change but whether to.
MI is one of the behavioral therapies NIDA lists for substance use disorders, particularly for engaging people who are ambivalent about entering treatment.[1]
SAMHSA's protocol on motivational enhancement details how stage-matched approaches improve engagement and retention.[2]
Retention is the whole point. Time in treatment is one of the strongest predictors of outcome, and MI is how people stay past week one.[1]
Our 53% completion rate, against a national outpatient average near 26%, starts with how the first conversation is handled.
Want to know if motivational interviewing is right for you?
Call (610) 233-4342We track every client from admission to discharge with the BARC-10 recovery capital scale and the PHQ-9 / GAD-7 mental health screens. These are our own program results.
53%
of clients complete our PHP and IOP programs — vs. a national average near 26% for similar outpatient programs.
+9
point average gain on the BARC-10 recovery capital scale from admission to discharge.
-5.95
point average drop in combined PHQ-9 / GAD-7 anxiety and depression scores during treatment.
2215 Kimberton Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460
Serving Phoenixville, Kimberton, Royersford, Collegeville, Spring City, Pottstown, King of Prussia, Norristown, Malvern, Exton, Downingtown and West Chester.
Learn about our Phoenixville office →1026 Winter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Serving Center City, Chinatown, Washington Square West, Rittenhouse, South Philadelphia, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, University City and the Main Line.
Learn about our Philadelphia office →1284 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale, PA 19311
Serving Avondale, Kennett Square, West Grove, Oxford, Landenberg, Coatesville and the Route 41 corridor of southern Chester County.
Learn about our Avondale office →In person at Phoenixville, Center City Philadelphia and Avondale, and by secure video in our statewide virtual IOP.
motivational interviewing is one part of a treatment plan built around you. These are the other approaches your therapist may combine with it.
The backbone of our groups and individual sessions — mapping triggers, thoughts and behavior.
Learn more about CBT — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy →Distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal skills for high-intensity emotions.
Learn more about DBT — Dialectical Behavior Therapy →Trauma reprocessing for the memories driving cravings, panic and nightmares.
Learn more about EMDR Therapy →Present-focused group model for PTSD and substance use, treated at the same time.
Learn more about Seeking Safety →Brain-based training for focus, sleep and nervous-system regulation in early recovery.
Learn more about Neurofeedback →Two one-on-one sessions a week with your own therapist — not one a month.
Learn more about Individual Therapy →Insurance accepted
Don't see your plan? Call (610) 233-4342 — we'll check your benefits.
Need detox or inpatient first?
If you need medical detox or a residential stay before outpatient care, call us — we'll help coordinate placement with trusted partners and plan your step-down into our PHP or IOP when you're ready.
That is the most common way people call us. We will help you look at it honestly rather than pressure you into a declaration.
No. Confrontational approaches drive people out of treatment, and we do not use them.
Say so. We will be honest about what is realistic for your situation medically, and we would rather have that conversation than lose you.
Yes — mandated clients are exactly who MI was developed for, because outside pressure has to become something internal to last.
No. It is part of how our clinicians work throughout PHP, IOP and virtual IOP.
Want to know if motivational interviewing is right for you?
Call (610) 233-4342Citations link to the original government and research sources. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
Confidential assessment, no pressure and no shaming, with insurance verified quickly. Our phones are answered 24/7.