Molly Magill’s interest in psychology and social work started in high school
and grew into her passion and ultimately, her career. She earned her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Boston and she earned her M.S.W and Ph.D. from Boston College. Dr. Magill is an associate research professor in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the Director of Biostatistics at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University. In 2019, Dr. Magill was awarded the Independent Scientist Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Her current research is focused on therapist or counselor training methods that are based on common factors of established behavioral interventions. The training method that is most exciting to Dr. Magill is motivational interviewing (MI). This technique recognizes there are multiple avenues to change and that the therapist’s job is to activate the natural process for clients. Dr. Magill believes the “gifts” that MI gave to addictions research and the clinical field are, love, appreciation, acceptance, and compassion for clients and a way to operationalize and train people how to do it. The training culture had gotten away from providing on-the-spot feedback to therapists. Now, because of motivational interviewing, instant feedback becoming popular again. According to Dr. Magill, MI forces you to stop, be present, and listen and believe what the clients says matters and is of value. This is a good practice for people everywhere to follow.
Listen to the full conversation with Dr. Magill on one of the several podcast players:
Very inspirational how the therapist’s is placed on the same plane as the patient in order to teach them to activate the answers that are already in them. Facilitators are more encouraged and training is very rational. Simple verbal style. Very well organized and impressive program. Thank you.
Great information! When a person has dealt with addiction and recovered from it properly, they can be an inspiration for others. It is necessary that motivation is provided to that person and others as well. Thanks for sharing this podcast here.
Just wanted to say thanks for letting me listen to your awesome podcast. I look forward to listening to many more!!
I continue to struggle with righting reflex but that may be about to change. In the last 30 minutes of this podcast, I began to visualize my old way of packing for a vacation: just keep adding items I like to my suitcase and arriving with a lot of mismatched and unnecessary items – vs – my relatively new way of packing, which would be to lay everything out on the bed and work out exactly what I’ll need.
By gathering options first and taking an overview, I travel lighter. I can choose just a single pair of shoes that match all the outfits and take notice of things like, I’ll need a belt for a specific pair of pants. Arriving at my destination with comfortable, coordinated outfits. has made travel so much less stressful.
So here’s my epiphany: by active listening, in the spirit of MI, we’re helping someone “lay it all out on the bed” so they can better choose exactly what they need for their particular destination.
Thank you Dr. Molly Magill for the inspiration to have greater faith in meeting participants own ability to uncover solutions. . . and thank you Luke Frazier for another insightful podcast