Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniquesUsesBenefitsEffectivenessWhat to ExpectGetting StartedFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Techniques
Uses
Benefits
Effectiveness
What to Expect
Getting Started
Frequently Asked Questions
Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is a counseling approach to help individuals address and work through the ambivalence they may have toward changing their behavior. It is often used with people struggling withsubstance use.
This article provides an overview of motivational enhancement therapy, its techniques, and its benefits and effectiveness. Keep reading to learn more about this treatment approach.
Techniques of Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Conversations about change can be challenging. In motivational enhancement therapy, an individual examines their ambivalence surrounding change. By evoking a person’s own thoughts, feelings, and language for change, a client and therapist can work to develop a plan that can help the individual succeed.
There are five main components to MET:
Motivational Enhancement Therapy vs. Motivational InterviewingMotivational enhancement therapy differs frommotivational interviewing(MI), another client-centered therapy aimed at changing behavior. MI takes a broader approach to behavior change, while MET focuses on the evaluation, feedback, and action steps.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy vs. Motivational Interviewing
Motivational enhancement therapy differs frommotivational interviewing(MI), another client-centered therapy aimed at changing behavior. MI takes a broader approach to behavior change, while MET focuses on the evaluation, feedback, and action steps.
What Is MET Used For?
Healthcare professionals use MET to identify reasons for and against change and build motivation for taking steps in a positive direction. This time-limited intervention is client-centered and emphasizes a person’s strengths and autonomy.
While MET is commonly used to treat substance use disorder, it can also be applied to support individuals exploring behavior change.
MET can also treat:
Who Should Consider Motivational Enhancement Therapy?Anyone engaging in a behavior that may be having a negative impact on their life may consider MET. Specifically, individuals struggling with substance use or gambling issues may benefit. Motivational enhancement therapy can be an effective way of helping them identify the benefits of making a change.
Who Should Consider Motivational Enhancement Therapy?
Anyone engaging in a behavior that may be having a negative impact on their life may consider MET. Specifically, individuals struggling with substance use or gambling issues may benefit. Motivational enhancement therapy can be an effective way of helping them identify the benefits of making a change.
Researchers have identified benefits of MET, including:
Things to Consider About METIt’s important to keep in mind that MET is not a standalone treatment but a short intervention that can be applied to and integrated with other therapies, likecognitive behavioral therapy. Additionally, success with MET varies based on the substances someone is using and the extent of their addiction.
Things to Consider About MET
It’s important to keep in mind that MET is not a standalone treatment but a short intervention that can be applied to and integrated with other therapies, likecognitive behavioral therapy. Additionally, success with MET varies based on the substances someone is using and the extent of their addiction.
MET is effective at engaging individuals in treatment and helping them reduce substance use.
Specifically, MET is effective with people using alcohol and cannabis. One study showed that MET was useful in motivating individuals who struggled with heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward partners to change their behavior.
Similarly, a different study showed that MET could positively impact motivation and feelings of self-efficacy.Essentially, MET can be productive in helping individuals begin a journey of change.
Understanding MET and what to expect can aid you in having a productive conversation with your healthcare provider.
It’s important to know that MET is an intervention that uses individual sessions. You can expect to complete various substance use assessments that will provide insight for you and the healthcare provider. This information can be used to explore the impact of your behavior and to start a conversation about what change could look like and how to achieve goals.
Talking about assessment results and future plans is integral to the process.
You can also expect to identify an actionable plan you will follow. Change isn’t linear. So, individuals can anticipate discussing challenges and maintaining motivation. To aid in a client’s journey, a healthcare provider may engage them in exercises, share information, or recommend handouts.
Some questions you might ask can include:
If MET seems like it may be a good fit for your needs, getting connected with a provider is the next step. To locate a provider, you can try:
When beginning therapy, take some time to ask about the therapist’s education, training, and experience. Inquiring about how they integrate MET into their practice and what that might look like based on your concerns can help you decide whether a provider and their approach are a good fit for you.
Summary
Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is an effective intervention to help people stay motivated while changing their behavior. MET offers personalized evaluation, feedback, and plans of action.
Often applied to substance use issues, MET can be applied to other problems such as gambling disorders, eating disorders, and PTSD. Finding a provider and talking about how MET can help you reach your goals is the first step.
A Word From Verywell
Making changes in your life can be difficult and can cause insecurity. You may not know where to start or feel confident in your ability to maintain the steps you take. Working with a healthcare provider or trained therapist who uses motivational enhancement therapy can help you take action toward identifying and achieving your goals. Ultimately, you inherently possess everything you need to take steps to improve your health.
Frequently Asked QuestionsMotivational enhancement therapy can be influential in empowering people to change their lives. Research shows that MET can help people decrease substance use issues, reduce drinking and smoking, strengthen medication adherence, and implement healthy lifestyle changes.Motivational enhancement therapy begins with a thorough assessment of a person’s substance use behaviors. Next, the client and therapist discuss the evaluation, talk about ambivalence and motivation for change, and start developing a plan. Therapists who use MET recognize that a person goes through various stages when trying to make a change. Over the following sessions, the client and therapist work to keep the client engaged and motivated.Motivational enhancement therapy is an intervention focusing on assessment, feedback, and plans for making change. It can be applied in just a few sessions to engage individuals, resolve ambivalence, and draw out their intrinsic motivation. Motivational interviewing is a communication style that strengthens a person’s language around change. A healthcare provider may use MI techniques to enhance their MET interventions.
Motivational enhancement therapy can be influential in empowering people to change their lives. Research shows that MET can help people decrease substance use issues, reduce drinking and smoking, strengthen medication adherence, and implement healthy lifestyle changes.
Motivational enhancement therapy begins with a thorough assessment of a person’s substance use behaviors. Next, the client and therapist discuss the evaluation, talk about ambivalence and motivation for change, and start developing a plan. Therapists who use MET recognize that a person goes through various stages when trying to make a change. Over the following sessions, the client and therapist work to keep the client engaged and motivated.
Motivational enhancement therapy is an intervention focusing on assessment, feedback, and plans for making change. It can be applied in just a few sessions to engage individuals, resolve ambivalence, and draw out their intrinsic motivation. Motivational interviewing is a communication style that strengthens a person’s language around change. A healthcare provider may use MI techniques to enhance their MET interventions.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Motivational enhancement therapy (Alcohol, marijuana, nicotine).Kumar S, Srivastava M, Srivastava M, Yadav JS, Prakash S.Effect of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) on the self efficacy of individuals of alcohol dependence.J Family Med Prim Care. 2021;10(1):367-372. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1578_20Murphy RT, Thompson KE, Murray M, Rainey Q, Uddo MM.Effect of a motivation enhancement intervention on veterans’ engagement in PTSD treatment.Psychological Services. 2009;6(4):264-278. doi:10.1037/a0017577Lenz, A. Stephen, Lorena Rosenbaum, and Donna Sheperis.Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of motivational enhancement therapy for reducing substance use.Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling. 2016;37(2):66-86. doi:10.1002/jaoc.12017Murphy CM, Ting LA, Jordan LC, et al.A randomized clinical trial of motivational enhancement therapy for alcohol problems in partner violent men.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2018;89:11-19. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2018.03.004Marín-Navarrete R, Horigian VE, Medina-Mora ME, et al.Motivational enhancement treatment in outpatient addiction centers: A multisite randomized trial.International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. 2017;17(1):9-19. doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.05.001Frost H, Campbell P, Maxwell M, et al.Effectiveness of motivational interviewing on adult behaviour change in health and social care settings: a systematic review of reviews.PLoS One. 2018;13(10):e0204890. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204890
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Motivational enhancement therapy (Alcohol, marijuana, nicotine).Kumar S, Srivastava M, Srivastava M, Yadav JS, Prakash S.Effect of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) on the self efficacy of individuals of alcohol dependence.J Family Med Prim Care. 2021;10(1):367-372. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1578_20Murphy RT, Thompson KE, Murray M, Rainey Q, Uddo MM.Effect of a motivation enhancement intervention on veterans’ engagement in PTSD treatment.Psychological Services. 2009;6(4):264-278. doi:10.1037/a0017577Lenz, A. Stephen, Lorena Rosenbaum, and Donna Sheperis.Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of motivational enhancement therapy for reducing substance use.Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling. 2016;37(2):66-86. doi:10.1002/jaoc.12017Murphy CM, Ting LA, Jordan LC, et al.A randomized clinical trial of motivational enhancement therapy for alcohol problems in partner violent men.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2018;89:11-19. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2018.03.004Marín-Navarrete R, Horigian VE, Medina-Mora ME, et al.Motivational enhancement treatment in outpatient addiction centers: A multisite randomized trial.International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. 2017;17(1):9-19. doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.05.001Frost H, Campbell P, Maxwell M, et al.Effectiveness of motivational interviewing on adult behaviour change in health and social care settings: a systematic review of reviews.PLoS One. 2018;13(10):e0204890. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204890
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Drug Abuse.Motivational enhancement therapy (Alcohol, marijuana, nicotine).Kumar S, Srivastava M, Srivastava M, Yadav JS, Prakash S.Effect of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) on the self efficacy of individuals of alcohol dependence.J Family Med Prim Care. 2021;10(1):367-372. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1578_20Murphy RT, Thompson KE, Murray M, Rainey Q, Uddo MM.Effect of a motivation enhancement intervention on veterans’ engagement in PTSD treatment.Psychological Services. 2009;6(4):264-278. doi:10.1037/a0017577Lenz, A. Stephen, Lorena Rosenbaum, and Donna Sheperis.Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of motivational enhancement therapy for reducing substance use.Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling. 2016;37(2):66-86. doi:10.1002/jaoc.12017Murphy CM, Ting LA, Jordan LC, et al.A randomized clinical trial of motivational enhancement therapy for alcohol problems in partner violent men.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2018;89:11-19. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2018.03.004Marín-Navarrete R, Horigian VE, Medina-Mora ME, et al.Motivational enhancement treatment in outpatient addiction centers: A multisite randomized trial.International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. 2017;17(1):9-19. doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.05.001Frost H, Campbell P, Maxwell M, et al.Effectiveness of motivational interviewing on adult behaviour change in health and social care settings: a systematic review of reviews.PLoS One. 2018;13(10):e0204890. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204890
National Institute on Drug Abuse.Motivational enhancement therapy (Alcohol, marijuana, nicotine).
Kumar S, Srivastava M, Srivastava M, Yadav JS, Prakash S.Effect of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) on the self efficacy of individuals of alcohol dependence.J Family Med Prim Care. 2021;10(1):367-372. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1578_20
Murphy RT, Thompson KE, Murray M, Rainey Q, Uddo MM.Effect of a motivation enhancement intervention on veterans’ engagement in PTSD treatment.Psychological Services. 2009;6(4):264-278. doi:10.1037/a0017577
Lenz, A. Stephen, Lorena Rosenbaum, and Donna Sheperis.Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of motivational enhancement therapy for reducing substance use.Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling. 2016;37(2):66-86. doi:10.1002/jaoc.12017
Murphy CM, Ting LA, Jordan LC, et al.A randomized clinical trial of motivational enhancement therapy for alcohol problems in partner violent men.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2018;89:11-19. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2018.03.004
Marín-Navarrete R, Horigian VE, Medina-Mora ME, et al.Motivational enhancement treatment in outpatient addiction centers: A multisite randomized trial.International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. 2017;17(1):9-19. doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.05.001
Frost H, Campbell P, Maxwell M, et al.Effectiveness of motivational interviewing on adult behaviour change in health and social care settings: a systematic review of reviews.PLoS One. 2018;13(10):e0204890. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204890
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