There are four basic communication techniques and skills found in Motivational Interviewing. The acronym OARS will help you remember them:

Open-ended questions – Questions that cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ are called open-ended. These kinds of questions invite someone to tell their own story in their own words. And they help you avoid seeming to be leading the young person in a specific direction.

Affirmations – Statements and gestures that recognize and acknowledge a young person’s strengths are known as affirmations. When you affirm choices and behaviors that lead towards positive change, no matter how big or how small they may be, you are helping the young person build confidence in their ability to change. 

Reflective Listening – Reflecting back what you hear is a way of making sure you understand what the young person is communicating to you. It acknowledges that you are listening to them, that you care about really hearing them. This is a very useful tool for preventing communication breakdowns and misunderstandings that might hinder their motivation toward change.

Summary Reflections – Summarizing builds off reflective listening and is especially useful at transition points in your conversations with young people. Summarizing helps to ensure there is clear communication between you and them. It shows your commitment to understanding what they want. And summarizing can provide a stepping stone toward change.