Reducing Stigma and Reclaiming Identity: Self-Affirmed Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy

This session introduces self-affirmed motivational interviewing, an adaptation of motivational interviewing that strategically amplifies the use of affirmation to reduce self-stigma and strengthen motivation for change. Participants will learn how self-affirmation processes can be integrated into motivational interviewing and applied with individuals who have experienced traumatic stressors, including racial trauma. Drawing on research and clinical applications, the session will examine how self-affirmed motivational interviewing can support engagement, reduce self-stigma, and promote recovery. Role plays and clinical demonstrations will be used to enhance skill acquisition and facilitate application in practice settings. This approach is described in Motivational interviewing Across Cultures: Optimizing Practice, recipient of the 2025 American Journal of Nursing book of the Year Award in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the principles of self-affirmed motivational interviewing and how it extends standard motivational interviewing practice.
• Explain the role of self-affirmation processes in reducing self-stigma among individuals who have experienced traumatic stressors, including racial trauma.
• Apply self-affirmed motivational interviewing strategies to enhance client engagement and motivation for behavior change.
• Demonstrate at least two techniques for integrating affirmation into motivational interviewing conversations in clinical practice.

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