Photo of Applied Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatrist in 94025, CA
Applied Clinical Neuroscience
Psychiatrist, MD
Verified Verified
Menlo Park, CA 94025
"Somethings's GOT to give. I can't take this any more! No one understands. My spouse? No way. The last doctor said "more meds" and spent as much time with the computer as he did with me! My teenager is sad and going no where fast. I think the younger one might have some kind of Asperger's, ADD,OCD,ODD,PSTD or some alphabet soup salad that I'm just supposed to deal with. The counselors out there are just too young to understand what I'm going through. Certainly life wasn't meant to be like this."
"Somethings's GOT to give. I can't take this any more! No one understands. My spouse? No way. The last doctor said "more meds" and spent as much time with the computer as he did with me! My teenager is sad and going no where fast. I think the younger one might have some kind of Asperger's, ADD,OCD,ODD,PSTD or some alphabet soup salad that I'm just supposed to deal with. The counselors out there are just too young to understand what I'm going through. Certainly life wasn't meant to be like this."
(650) 288-6479 View (650) 288-6479
Photo of Greer Murphy, Psychiatrist in 94025, CA
Greer Murphy
Psychiatrist, MD, PhD
Verified Verified
Menlo Park, CA 94025
I can help you with: Treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, compulsions, and trauma. Also, insomnia, chronic fatigue, inattention and lack of focus. Memory and other cognitive concerns, even when complicated by agitation. Overuse and dependence on habit-forming prescription and non-prescription substances. Workplace and family issues. Chronic pain and Long COVID mood, energy, and cognitive changes. Nonresponse to medication and psychotherapies given by other providers. I also have decades of experience treating severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and psychosis in hospital, outpatient, and residential settings.
I can help you with: Treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, compulsions, and trauma. Also, insomnia, chronic fatigue, inattention and lack of focus. Memory and other cognitive concerns, even when complicated by agitation. Overuse and dependence on habit-forming prescription and non-prescription substances. Workplace and family issues. Chronic pain and Long COVID mood, energy, and cognitive changes. Nonresponse to medication and psychotherapies given by other providers. I also have decades of experience treating severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and psychosis in hospital, outpatient, and residential settings.
(650) 629-0909 View (650) 629-0909
Photo of Doctor Xia Psychiatry, Psychiatrist in 94025, CA
Doctor Xia Psychiatry
Psychiatrist, MD
Verified Verified
Menlo Park, CA 94025  (Online Only)
Mental health is influenced by numerous factors including genetics, upbringing, emotions, medical conditions, circumstance, and more. My name is Dr. Tom Xia, and I believe the best treatment starts with understanding the factors that make up the person, not just the symptoms. Together, we will aim to understand the core of your difficulties and collectively decide on the best treatment whether it is talk therapy, medication, or both.
Mental health is influenced by numerous factors including genetics, upbringing, emotions, medical conditions, circumstance, and more. My name is Dr. Tom Xia, and I believe the best treatment starts with understanding the factors that make up the person, not just the symptoms. Together, we will aim to understand the core of your difficulties and collectively decide on the best treatment whether it is talk therapy, medication, or both.
(415) 943-2762 View (415) 943-2762
Motivational Interviewing Psychiatrists

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.