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Ask for Elaboration: Think of this as a supplemental tactic to coincide with open-ended questions. Probing for more information leads to change talk. Looking Forward: Ask about what may happen if things remain the same. Query the Extremes: Ask about what is the best that may happen if the behavior change is made. In addition, inquire about what may be the worst that could happen if the change is not accomplished. Using Change Rulers: This is an excellent concrete strategy to produce change talk. Ask clients on a scale of 1 (not at all important) to 10 (very important) about how important it is for them to make the intended change, and follow up with inquiries regarding their numeric score. For example, if they stated a 6, ask them why not a 5 or a 7 on the scale? Also, probe regarding what would need to happen in order for them to move from a score of 6 to perhaps a score of 7 or 8 on this scale. Coming Alongside: In order to facilitate change talk, perhaps the counselor must explicitly side with the ambivalence. For instance, a counselor may say, "Perhaps gambling is so important and critical in your life, you will not stop no matter the personal costs." Especially for a client experienced with SUD treatment and AA/NA culture, receiving this type of MI intervention to elicit change talk is quite powerful and can also strengthen the trust between counselor and client.

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