Free Resource: Rolling with Resistance (Motivational Interviewing)
We’re sharing a free handout on Rolling with Resistance, a core skill in Motivational Interviewing that can completely shift the tone of difficult conversations.
Resistance shows up in many forms—defensiveness, side comments, distraction, arguing, “You don’t understand,” or “You can’t help me.” Instead of pushing harder, MI teaches us something different:
The more we argue for change, the more the other person argues against it.
This handout breaks down:
What resistance really is
Why it happens
What doesn’t work (persuasion, the righting reflex)
What does work (empathy, discrepancy, self-efficacy, reflective listening)
Practical phrases to use in the moment
One of the most powerful reminders from the resource: “There is no way to make people like change. You can only make them feel less threatened by it.”
DOWNLOAD Free from University of Missouri:
