One of the key aspects of human interaction and motivational interviewing is empathy. It’s important to identify and express an understanding of what the other individual is experiencing.

We also need to be cautious about over-empathizing with someone when they feel negatively in a negative place.

It’s easy to get caught in that space and jump into the metaphorical swamp with them.

***During MI conversations, we want to stay out of that swamp by offering an initial expression of empathy, then moving to validating and shifting towards change through double-sided reflections.