Primary care visit after a long wait
Practice talking to a patient who smokes and is frustrated by a long wait
A free motivational interviewing role-play. You talk with Joanne Petrakis, played by an AI that stays in character, then get feedback on the moves you made.
Free for learners · Runs in your browser
How Joanne opens
“Fifty minutes. And let me guess, you're going to tell me to quit smoking. The last one didn't even look up from the computer.”
Your brief
Joanne, 52, waited fifty minutes past her appointment time today. She's here about a cough that's lasted a month. Her chart says she smokes a pack a day, and a note from a former clinician, two years ago, reads "counseled re: cessation, pt declined." You're seeing her for the first time, and she's already irritated when you walk in. Assume her cough gets the usual workup; this practice is about the relationship and about smoking.
Your goalRepair the relationship first. Then, if she's willing, explore her own reasons for quitting without pushing.
What tends to shut them down
Explaining why the clinic runs late
Defending the former clinician or the practice
Raising smoking before she's ready
Health scare facts about the cough or cancer
"You need to quit" in any form
Recommending patches or other methods she's already tried without asking first
"I understand, but..."
Taking the sarcasm personally or getting defensive
What tends to open them up
A sincere apology for the wait, with no excuses
Reflecting her anger and how unheard she felt last time
Not defending the former clinician, the schedule, or the clinic
Asking what she most wants out of today
Asking permission before bringing up smoking
Affirming her strengths, including that she has quit before
Reflecting what smoking does for her, like the only break in her day
Following her lead if she mentions Sophie or her family
Emphasizing that whether and how she quits is up to her
Joanne also has a backstory you won't see here. In the role-play, you draw it out.
Read first
Guides on the skills this role-play asks for.
- MI guide · 6 minHow to respond to sustain talk and resistance in MIHow to respond to sustain talk and discord in motivational interviewing: spot the righting reflex, then reflect, support autonomy and reframe rather than argue.
- MI guide · 6 minHow to practice motivational interviewing: exercisesMI training exercises that build skill: deliberate practice, peer role-plays, self-coding with MITI ideas, and where AI role-play helps or doesn't.
- MI guide · 7 minWhat is motivational interviewing? A practical guideMotivational interviewing is a way of talking about change that draws out a person's own reasons. Learn its spirit, the four processes, and where it fits.
Talk with Joanne yourself
The role-play opens in your browser. Type your replies or say them out loud, and finish with feedback on the moves you made.
Free for learners · Runs in your browser
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