Motivational Interviewing in Ottawa & Westboro
Virtually Across Ontario

When you know you want to make a change but feel stuck between wanting it and actually doing it, Motivational Interviewing (MI) offers a way forward. MI helps you explore your ambivalence about change without judgment, strengthening your own reasons for making different choices. It’s not about being told what to do – it’s about discovering your personal motivation and building confidence that change is possible.

Our Registered Psychotherapists at Therapy with Empathy bring Motivational Interviewing to clients in Ottawa’s Westboro neighborhood and across Ontario through virtual sessions. We help you explore what matters most to you, resolve mixed feelings about change, and develop a plan that aligns with your values and goals.

Motivational Interviewing was developed in the early 1980s by psychologists William Miller and Stephen Rollnick, who noticed that confrontational approaches to behavior change often backfired, increasing resistance rather than motivation. They discovered that a collaborative, non-judgmental style that honored people’s autonomy was far more effective in helping them move toward meaningful change. Since then, MI has been extensively researched and applied across healthcare, mental health, and wellness settings.

Unlike traditional advice-giving approaches where someone tells you what you should do, MI recognizes that you’re the expert on your own life and that lasting change comes from within. Your therapist helps you examine both sides of your ambivalence – the reasons to change and the reasons to stay the same – without pushing you in either direction. This exploration often reveals that you already have important reasons for change; they just need space to be heard and strengthened.

What sets MI apart is its focus on evoking your own motivation rather than installing it from the outside. Through reflective listening, open-ended questions, and affirming your strengths, your therapist helps you articulate why change matters to you and what’s holding you back. As you hear yourself talk through the pros and cons, you often find clarity and commitment that didn’t feel accessible before. MI meets you where you are and respects your pace.

Who Is Motivational Interviewing For?

Motivational Interviewing can be particularly helpful if you:

• Feel ambivalent about making changes to your health, relationships, or lifestyle
• Know what you “should” do but struggle to feel motivated
• Want to address substance use, eating patterns, or other behavioral concerns
• Feel stuck between the comfort of familiar patterns and desire for something different
• Have experienced pressure or judgment about change that increased resistance
• Need support making decisions about your mental health treatment
• Want to explore changes without feeling pushed or lectured
• Struggle with procrastination or avoidance around important goals
• Need help clarifying your values and what truly matters to you

Ready to Explore What Change Could Look Like?

Book your free 15-minute consultation to discuss whether Motivational Interviewing fits your needs. We’ll explore your goals, explain how MI works, and answer any questions about getting started.

Therapy with Empathy
Westboro, Ottawa | Virtual across Ontario
Bilingual services available (English/French)