Message from the Center of Excellence

Welcome to the first volume of the Motivational Interviewing Newsletter designed to bring you news, updates, and resources to support you in your important work.

It is not news that how you ask questions matters. In Motivational Interviewing, open-ended questions and scaling questions invite reflection, encourage dialogue, and help clients explore their thoughts, feelings, and goals while leaving judgements at the door. Another benefit of open-ended questions is that you get more detailed answers from clients and will reduce the number of questions you need to ask.

Unlike closed questions that yield short answers (e.g., “Yes” or “No”), open-ended questions leave space for clients to share their stories and insights.



For example:

Benefits: They promote self-reflection, reinforce autonomy, and encourage “change talk” by helping clients articulate their own motivations for change.

Scaling questions help clients assess their readiness, confidence, or importance of change. For example:

• “On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being not confident at all and 10 being totally confident, how confident are you in making this change?” 

Sample follow-up questions:

• "What made you select a 3 instead of a 2?"
• "How would your response have been different six months ago?"
• "What would you need to get from a 3 to an 8?"
• "Where do you think you could be 4 months from now?"

Benefits: They provide measurable insight into a client's mindset and open the door for deeper exploration of their motivations and barriers.

Tips for Best Practice:

• Use open-ended follow-ups to explore scaling responses. (e.g., "What would help you move from a 6 to a 7?")
• Combine both techniques to encourage reflection and action.