Our Approach
To help promote long term behaviour change our team of Get Active Specialists have undergone in-depth training to take an evidence based approach. In collaboration with Health and Exercise Psychologists Dr Angel Chater and Neil Howlett we have created an intervention that is based on proven behaviour change techniques underpinned by a Motivational Interviewing communication style.
How does this approach help the patient to change?
Through our intervention we are able to provide ongoing support for inactive individuals. We work with patients to create action plans with realistic and achievable goals whilst addressing personal barriers, confidence levels and developing discrepancies between current and desired behaviours.
Our team of Get Active Specialists are highly qualified and experienced exercise professionals who have been trained in Behaviour Change, Motivational Interviewing, and Exercise on Referral. This means we are well placed to recommend and prescribe safe and effective exercise for clients with a variety of medical conditions such as Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, Diabetes and mental health.
How does Motivational Interviewing help?
Motivational Interviewing has been developed by psychologists based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). A client centred, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. Through our approach we are able facilitate successful change by helping patients to realise change is needed, believe that change can be successful and believe that they are capable of change.
We follow the four guiding principles of Motivational Interviewing that are known as RULE:
Resist – the righting reflex by not trying to make things right, rolling with resistance to create an environment for change.
Understanding – the client’s motivations to change by evoking and exploring perceptions of their current/desired situation.
Listening – to client’s situation, showing empathy by using non-verbal and para-verbal communications.
Empowering – the client to explore how they can make a difference to their own health and what they need to do to achieve this.
Source: Rollnick, Miller & Butler, (2008) The ‘Spirit’ of Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing helps us to change the way that we communicate with people, which in turn helps them to change the way they think, feel and behave.