The Best Examples of Open-Ended Questions in Motivational Interviewing (And How to Use Them)

Instead of starting with theory, let’s get straight to the good part: what it actually sounds like in a real conversation.

Imagine you’re talking with someone who says, “I know I should exercise more, but I just don’t.” A closed question sounds like: “Do you want to start working out?” That invites a yes/no and usually shuts things down.

Here are some better, real examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing you could use instead:

• “What goes through your mind when you think about exercising more?”
• “In what ways has your current routine been working for you, and in what ways has it been getting in the way?”
• “If you did decide to make a change in your activity level, where might you start?”
• “What have you tried before, and what did you learn from that?”

Notice how each question invites a story, not a one-word answer. That’s the heart of motivational interviewing: you’re creating space for the other person’s wisdom, not delivering a lecture.

Why Open-Ended Questions Matter More Than Advice

Let’s be honest: most of us are advice machines. Someone says, “I should eat better,” and we immediately start planning their meal prep, macros, and grocery list in our heads.

Motivational interviewing flips that instinct on its head. Instead of telling people what to do, you ask questions that help them:

• Hear their own reasons for change
• Notice the gap between where they are and where they want to be
• Strengthen their confidence that change is possible

Research over the past decade supports this. Motivational interviewing is widely used in health care, addiction treatment, and behavior change. For example, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that motivational interviewing is an evidence-based approach for substance use treatment because it helps people explore ambivalence rather than fight it head-on (NIDA, nida.nih.gov).

Open-ended questions are the engine of that process. They keep people talking, reflecting, and discovering their own motivations.

The Best Examples of Open-Ended Questions in Motivational Interviewing by Goal

Let’s organize some of the best examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing by the kind of change you’re talking about. These are phrased for adults, but you can easily adapt the tone for teens or specific settings.

1. Exploring Ambivalence (The “Part of Me Wants To, Part of Me Doesn’t” Stage)

Ambivalence is not resistance; it’s a normal part of change. You want questions that gently invite both sides of the story.

Some examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing for this stage:

• “What do you enjoy about how things are right now, and what worries you about it?”
• “On the one hand you’ve kept this habit for a long time. On the other hand, you’re thinking about changing it. What are the main pros and cons that stand out to you?”
• “When you imagine staying the same for the next year, what comes up for you? And when you imagine making a change, what comes up?”
• “What are the parts of you that want to change, and what are the parts that want to keep things as they are?”

These questions invite nuance. Instead of pushing for change, you’re inviting a fuller picture. That’s exactly what motivational interviewing aims for.

2. Eliciting Change Talk

Change talk is any language the person uses that leans toward change: “I want to…,” “I could…,” “I’m tired of…,” “I might be able to….” Your questions should gently pull that out.

Here are some examples include:

• “What would be some of the benefits if you did make this change?”
• “If things were to improve in this area, what would that look like for you?”
• “What makes you think it might be worth giving this another try?”
• “When you’ve made hard changes in the past, what helped you do it?”
• “What’s one small sign that would tell you you’re moving in the right direction?”

You’re not forcing positivity. You’re just shining a light on the part of them that’s already leaning toward growth.

3. Strengthening Confidence and Self-Efficacy

People don’t change because you’re confident; they change when they feel capable. Open-ended questions help them reconnect with their own track record of coping and succeeding.

Here’s an example of how you might do that:

• “On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means ‘no confidence at all’ and 10 means ‘I’m completely confident,’ where would you put yourself about making this change?”
• “Why that number and not a lower one?”
• “What would help move you just one step higher on that scale?”
• “What strengths have helped you handle tough situations before?”
• “Who in your life could support you if you decided to do this?”

That “why that number and not a lower one?” question is a classic motivational interviewing move. It invites the person to argue for their own ability instead of against it.

4. Planning Next Steps Without Taking Over

Even when someone is ready to change, it’s tempting to jump into expert mode and design their plan for them. Open-ended questions keep the ownership where it belongs: with them.

Some of the best examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing for planning are:

• “Given everything we’ve talked about, what feels like a realistic first step for you?”
• “What would make that first step doable this week, not just ideal?”
• “What might get in the way, and how could you prepare for that?”
• “If this plan doesn’t go perfectly—and it probably won’t—how would you like to handle setbacks?”
• “How will you know this plan is working well enough for you?”

Again, you’re guiding, not steering. You’re helping them design a plan that fits their life, not your fantasy version of their life.

Examples of Open-Ended Questions in Motivational Interviewing by Life Area

Let’s get even more concrete. Here are real examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing tailored to common coaching and counseling situations.

Health Behaviors: Sleep, Exercise, Nutrition

Health care systems in the U.S. and internationally increasingly include motivational interviewing in training for physicians, nurses, and health coaches because it supports behavior change without shaming patients (see CDC training resources).

For health-related conversations, you might ask:

• “What does a typical day of eating look like for you from morning to night?”
• “How does your current sleep pattern affect your energy and mood?”
• “When you picture your health a year from now, what would you love to be different?”
• “You’ve mentioned your doctor’s recommendations. What parts of those feel realistic, and what parts feel out of reach?”
• “In the past, when you felt your healthiest, what were you doing differently?”

These questions respect the person’s reality: their schedule, culture, budget, and stress level.

Addiction, Substance Use, and Recovery

Motivational interviewing actually grew out of work in addiction treatment and still has a strong evidence base there. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that motivational interviewing helps people explore their relationship with alcohol in a nonjudgmental way (NIAAA, niaaa.nih.gov).

Some examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing for this area:

• “When did you first start noticing that your use was causing problems for you?”
• “What are some of the ways alcohol (or another substance) has helped you cope, and what are some of the ways it’s gotten in the way?”
• “How has your use affected the people around you, from your point of view?”
• “If your relationship with this substance changed, what would you hope your life might look like six months from now?”
• “What are you most afraid might happen if nothing changes?”

Notice the tone: curious, not accusatory. You’re inviting their story, not building a case against them.

Career, Motivation, and Life Direction

Motivational interviewing isn’t just for clinical settings. Coaches and managers use it to help people clarify what they want from work and life.

Here are some real examples you might use:

• “When you think about your work, what parts give you energy and what parts drain you?”
• “If your career were going really well three years from now, what would be happening?”
• “What values feel most important to you in your work right now?”
• “How does your current job fit—or not fit—with those values?”
• “What small experiment could you run in the next month to test a new direction, without blowing up your whole life?”

These questions help people move from vague dissatisfaction (“I hate my job”) to specific insight and action.

Relationships and Communication

Relationships are another area where open-ended questions can shift the conversation from blame to understanding.

Some examples include:

• “When you think about this relationship at its best, what do you remember?”
• “What do you most wish your partner/family member understood about how you feel?”
• “If communication improved between you, what would you notice first?”
• “What have you already tried to change the pattern between you, and how did that go?”
• “What kind of partner/friend/family member do you want to be in this situation?”

These questions help people reconnect with their own values and intentions, not just their frustrations.

How to Turn Closed Questions into Open-Ended Ones (Fast)

You don’t need to memorize a script. You just need to recognize when you’ve accidentally asked a closed question and know how to flip it in real time.

Here’s a simple mental trick: start with “what,” “how,” or “in what way” instead of “do,” “did,” “can,” or “will.”

Watch how these shift:

• Closed: “Do you want to stop smoking?”
  Open: “What are your thoughts right now about your smoking?”

• Closed: “Have you tried to lose weight before?”
  Open: “What have you tried before to manage your weight, and what did you learn from those attempts?”

• Closed: “Are you ready to change?”
  Open: “In what ways, if any, are you thinking about changing?”

Each open version invites a story, a reflection, or a description—not just a yes or no.

If you’re practicing as a coach or clinician, it can help to record (with permission) or jot down snippets of your sessions and later ask yourself:

“Where could I have turned that into an open-ended question?”

Over time, your ear gets sharper, and these examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing become more like a natural speaking style than a technique.

Common Mistakes When Using Open-Ended Questions

Even with good intentions, it’s easy to misuse this tool. A few traps to watch for:

Stacking questions.
“Why do you think that is? And how long has it been going on? And what did your doctor say?” That feels like an interrogation. Ask one open-ended question, then pause. Let the silence do some work.

Sneaky advice disguised as a question.
“Have you thought about joining a gym?” is advice dressed up as curiosity. A more motivational interviewing–consistent version might be: “What kinds of changes in activity, if any, feel realistic for you right now?”

“Why” questions that feel blaming.
“Why did you do that?” can land like a judgment. You can often rephrase as: “What was going on for you when that happened?” or “How did you see things at the time?”

Ignoring emotional content.
If someone says, “I’m exhausted all the time,” and you ask, “How many hours do you sleep?” you’ve missed the emotional cue. A more attuned open-ended question might be: “What has this exhaustion been like for you day to day?”

Bringing It Together: A Short Script Using Multiple Examples

To see how these pieces fit together, here’s a brief, realistic conversation using several of the best examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing.

Client: I know I should cut back on takeout, but I’m just too tired to cook.

Coach: You’re torn—you see reasons to change, and at the same time you’re exhausted.
Client: Exactly.

Coach: What does a typical evening look like for you after work?

Client: I get home around 6:30, scroll my phone, maybe watch something, and then I just order food.

Coach: When you picture your health six months from now, what would you hope might be different, if anything?

Client: I’d like to feel less sluggish and maybe lose a little weight.

Coach: What have you already tried, if anything, to eat differently?

Client: I’ve tried cooking on Sundays, but I never stick with it.

Coach: What did you learn from that experiment about what works for you and what doesn’t?

Client: I learned that I hate spending my whole Sunday cooking. But having food ready did help during the week.

Coach: Given that, what might be a smaller, more realistic first step this time?

Client: Maybe just prepping two dinners instead of the whole week.

Here you can see several examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing at work: exploring the current pattern, eliciting change talk, learning from past attempts, and co-creating a realistic next step.

FAQ: Examples of Open-Ended Questions in Motivational Interviewing

Q: Can you give a quick example of an open-ended question versus a closed one?
A: Closed: “Do you want to exercise more?” Open: “What are your thoughts about your current level of activity?” The open-ended version invites a fuller answer and fits better with motivational interviewing.

Q: What are some simple examples of open-ended questions in motivational interviewing for beginners?
A: You can start with very basic ones: “What’s that like for you?”, “How has this been affecting your life?”, “What feels most important to you about this situation?”, and “Where would you like to go from here?” These are easy to remember and work in almost any conversation.

Q: Are there examples of open-ended questions that work well in short medical visits?
A: Yes. Busy clinicians often use compact questions like: “What matters most to you about your health right now?”, “What concerns you most about this condition?”, or “What changes, if any, are you considering in the next few months?” These fit within time-limited appointments and are consistent with patient-centered care approaches promoted by organizations like the Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.org).

Q: How many open-ended questions should I ask in a session?
A: There’s no perfect number. In motivational interviewing, the spirit matters more than the count. A useful rule of thumb: ask fewer, better questions and give more time for answers. If you’re talking more than the other person, try adding more open-ended questions and longer pauses.

Q: Do I always have to use open-ended questions in motivational interviewing?
A: Not always. Closed questions can be helpful for clarifying facts (“How many cigarettes a day?”). The key is that the heart of your conversation—especially when exploring motivation and ambivalence—relies mainly on open-ended questions that invite reflection and change talk.

If you treat these examples as a menu rather than a script, you’ll quickly develop your own style. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes to ask questions that help people hear themselves clearly—and that’s where real change usually starts.