What it is
Decisional Balance & Change Talk is a Motivational Interviewing (MI) technique for exploring ambivalence by systematically weighing the pros and cons of changing versus staying the same.
Why it works
Ambivalence is a natural stage of change. Examining the costs of status quo alongside the benefits of change elicits internal motivation ("change talk") rather than external pressure:
Decisional Balance Shift
“Changing this habit is too hard, so why bother trying.”
Practicing with Camic
Camic helps you map out your decisional balance matrix and articulate your own change talk in a supportive, non-judgmental dialogue.
Applied in real situations
Sources
Miller, W.R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. Lundahl, B., & Burke, B.L. (2009). The effectiveness and applicability of motivational interviewing: A practice-friendly review of four meta-analyses. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(11), 1232–1245. Moderate effect sizes (d = .25-.57) vs. no-treatment for behavior change, most consistently for substance use, diet/exercise adherence.