Photo of Atara M Parkinson, Marriage & Family Therapist in 91016, CA
Atara M Parkinson
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MS, LMFT
Verified Verified
Monrovia, CA 91016  (Online Only)
My passion is to help clients in the mind/body connection. I love watching the physical body and mind align to impact mental health through nutrition and integrative medicine. I’m here to support my clients in creating sustainable vision for their lives. The goal in my work is to empower clients on gaining clarity to obtain holistic balance in mind, body and soul. I believe that a strong therapeutic connection is vital in creating a space for healing to take place. My approach is to create a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space for clients to explore their lives and beliefs.
My passion is to help clients in the mind/body connection. I love watching the physical body and mind align to impact mental health through nutrition and integrative medicine. I’m here to support my clients in creating sustainable vision for their lives. The goal in my work is to empower clients on gaining clarity to obtain holistic balance in mind, body and soul. I believe that a strong therapeutic connection is vital in creating a space for healing to take place. My approach is to create a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space for clients to explore their lives and beliefs.
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Motivational Interviewing Therapists

How does motivational interviewing work?

Motivational interviewing aims to uncover a person’s internal motivation to change their life. Toward this end, the therapist listens, empathizes, and collaborates with the client based on their perspective; the therapist doesn’t adhere to a predetermined plan for change or impose their viewpoint on the client. Discovering an individual’s most important reasons for change, and guiding them to achieve those changes, can empower people to shift from ambivalence to action.

Is motivational interviewing evidence-based?

Yes, research shows that motivational interviewing can help treat alcohol and substance use — and in different ways such as reducing drinking, reducing resistance, and increasing the likelihood of staying in treatment. Motivational interviewing has also been shown to help people lose weight, adhere to medication regimens, improve diet for those with Type II diabetes, and improve healthy behaviors in children.

How long does motivational interviewing last?

Motivational interviewing is a short-term therapy that can last just one or two sessions. In some cases, motivational interviewing may be used in conjunction with longer-term therapies, but for most people, motivational interviewing is a brief intervention that aims to help patients understand their personal, specific, and internal reasons for changing their life.

What differentiates motivational interviewing from person-centered therapy?

In person-centered therapy, the individual is in the driver’s seat of the treatment process, creating space for them to trust their instincts and arrive at their own solutions. The two approaches are similar because motivational interviewing is also client-centered; however, person-centered therapy is more open-ended while motivational interviewing is somewhat more structured; the goal is to change, and the therapist helps the client specifically discover their internal motivations to modify their behavior.