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Evidence-based therapy approach
Motivational Interviewing in Bangladesh
When part of you wants to change and part of you does not, motivational interviewing helps you find your own reasons and readiness — without pressure or lectures. Work with a licensed psychologist online across Bangladesh, or in person in Dhaka.
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Motivational interviewing at a glance
- Typical length
- Often 2–6 sessions, sometimes as the start of longer therapy
- Each session
- About 60 minutes
- Style
- Collaborative and non-judgemental; you make the decisions
- Focus
- Resolving mixed feelings about a change
- Strongest evidence
- Alcohol, drugs, smoking and other health behaviour change
- Format
- Online or in person, Bangla or English
Meet the psychologists →In plain language: Motivational interviewing does not push you to change. It helps you explore your own mixed feelings, so the motivation comes from you — which is what makes change actually stick.
The basics
What is motivational interviewing?
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, respectful style of counselling that helps people resolve mixed feelings and build their own motivation to change.
When we know we “should” change something — a habit, an addiction, a health behaviour — but feel torn, being pushed or lectured usually makes us dig in. MI takes the opposite approach. The therapist works with you, not against your resistance: listening, understanding both sides of your ambivalence, and gently drawing out your own reasons for change. Because the motivation is yours, not imposed, it lasts. MI is especially well evidenced for addiction and health behaviour change, and it is often used to prepare people for deeper therapy.
Where MI fits
The stages of change
Change rarely happens in one jump. People move through stages, and often go round more than once. Motivational interviewing is most useful when part of you wants to change and part of you does not.
- Mixed feelings are normalContemplation means weighing both sides. MI helps you hear your own reasons for change.
- No pressure, no lectureYour psychologist does not argue or push. You stay in charge of the decision.
- A slip is not failureRelapse is part of the cycle for many people. Each round teaches something for the next.
Based on the stages-of-change model (Prochaska and DiClemente), often used with motivational interviewing (Miller and Rollnick). Illustration.
The spirit
Core principles of MI
Acceptance
Respecting your autonomy and your right to choose.
Compassion
Keeping your best interests at the centre, without judgement.
Evocation
Drawing out your own motivations rather than installing them.
Rolling with resistance
Not arguing against you, which only strengthens resistance.
Change talk
Noticing and building on your own reasons for change.
Why it works
What are the benefits?
Motivation that lasts
Change driven by you, so it holds up over time.
No pressure
Respectful and non-judgemental — nothing is forced.
Resolves ambivalence
Helps when you feel genuinely torn about changing.
Strong for addiction
Well evidenced for substances, smoking and health habits.
Gets you started
A great first step before deeper therapeutic work.
Builds confidence
Strengthens your belief that change is possible.
Choosing well
Is motivational interviewing right for me?
A good fit if you
- feel that part of you wants to change and part of you does not
- feel pushed by family or others and end up defensive
- want to cut down or stop drinking, drugs, smoking or gambling
- want to make a health change, such as taking medication regularly or being more active
Another approach may suit first if
- you are in crisis or feel unsafe: call 999 or go to the nearest hospital
- you drink or take pills heavily every day: do not stop suddenly on your own; a psychiatrist can plan a safe reduction alongside counselling
- you already feel ready and want practical tools: CBT or behavioural therapy
- family conflict about the habit is the main problem: family therapy
Not sure? You do not need to be ready to change to start; exploring the question is exactly what the first sessions are for.
Inside the work
What sessions involve
Explore both sides
Understanding what change would cost and what it would give.
Draw out your reasons
Helping your own motivations for change surface.
Build confidence
Strengthening belief that change is achievable.
Plan a step
Agreeing a change you are ready and willing to make.
Where it helps
What it can help with
Addiction
Substances, smoking, gambling and other habits.
Health behaviour
Exercise, diet, medication and lifestyle change.
Feeling ambivalent
Any change you feel genuinely torn about.
Getting started
Building readiness before deeper therapy.
Big decisions
Working through stuck, two-minds choices.
Low motivation
Reconnecting with what matters to you.
Who practises it
Psychologists who use motivational interviewing
Each of these licensed psychologists lists motivational interviewing among their methods. Not sure who fits? Tell us what is going on and we will match you.
Tamima Tanjin
From ৳3,500BCPS-verified
Sirajum Monira
From ৳2,200
Jannatul Naeem
From ৳2,000
Twasin Sultana
From ৳2,000
Shaheen Nafisa Siddique
From ৳4,500
Mesbahul Islam
From ৳3,500BCPS-verified
Salma Parveen
From ৳4,500BCPS-verified
Hazera Khatun
From ৳3,500BCPS-verified
Dr. Tarun Kanti Gayen
From ৳4,500BCPS-verified
Ishrat Shermin Rahman
From ৳4,000BCPS-verified
Nazme Ara
From ৳3,000BCPS-verified
Samsun Nahar
From ৳2,200BCPS-verified
Choosing safely
Questions to ask a therapist
- What training do you have in motivational interviewing?
- How does it fit with my goal?
- Will we move on to other approaches later?
- What might sessions look like?
- How will we know it is helping?
- Can it be adapted to my language and culture?
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Will the therapist tell me what to do?
No. MI is deliberately non-directive about the decision itself. The therapist helps you explore your own motivation so any change comes from you.
What if I am not sure I want to change?
That is exactly what MI is for. It works with mixed feelings rather than pushing past them, which is why it helps when you feel torn.
Is it only for addiction?
No. MI began in addiction work and has strong evidence there, but it helps with any change you feel ambivalent about — health, habits or life decisions.
Can it be combined with other therapy?
Yes. MI is often a first step that builds readiness for CBT or other deeper work.
Can it be done online in Bangladesh?
Yes. It works well over secure video, in Bangla or English, from anywhere in the country. In-person sessions are available in Dhaka.
How much does a session cost?
Chum Wellness sessions start from BDT 1,000 and vary by psychologist. The exact fee is confirmed before you book.
Ready when you are
Your readiness comes before the technique
Tell Chum what you are weighing up, and we will match you with a licensed psychologist who can help — online across Bangladesh, or in person in Dhaka.
