William R Miller (psychologist)

Professor of psychology in New Mexico, USA. Founder of Motivational interviewing together with Professor Stephen Rollnick.

William R. Miller, Ph.D., is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where he joined the faculty in 1976. He has taught a wide range of subjects, including courses on alcoholism and abnormal psychology, and seminars on positive psychology and on self-fulfilling prophecies. His primary scientific interest is in the psychology of change, but his research spans the treatment of addictive behaviors, self-regulation, spirituality and psychology, motivation for change, and pastoral psychology. He has been a visiting scholar at the Oregon Health Sciences University, the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, Stanford University, and the University of Bergen and the Hjellestad Clinic in Norway.

Miller has changed the way clinicians think about the nature of substance abuse disorders, their treatment and the means to effect change in patients. Early in his career, he emphasized that not all alcohol problems are severe and tested briefer interventions for mid-range problem drinkers.

He developed a behavioral self-control training program, successfully testing it with less dependent problem drinkers.

References

Miller, W.R. and Rollnick, S. Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People to Change. NY: Guilford Press, 2002.

Miller, W.R., Zweben, A., DiClemente, C.C., Rychtarik, R.G. 'Motivational Enhancement Therapy Manual. Washington, DC:National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Project MATCH Monograph Series, Volume 2.