Motivational Interviewing (MI) is one of the most widely disseminatedand utilized evidence based practices within treatment foralcohol use disorder (AUD; Miller & Rose, 2009). While MI is demonstratedto work as effectively as other bona fide psychosocial interventions,it often achieves successful behavior change outcomes infewer sessions. In addition, it is especially useful in facilitating treatmentinitiation and engagement and as a compliment to other treatments,making it a particularly valuable tool in the AUD treatmenttoolkit.Despite this achievement, like other established treatments for AUD,MI is only modestly effective. Efforts to better understand and improvetreatment outcomes, in this case, reduced drinking.MI have focused on identifying its active ingredients and mechanisms ofaction, with a focus on increasing motivation as MI's unique effect.Miller and Rose (2009) proposed a theory of MI's active ingredients: arelational component, which included a Rogerian, client-centered approach(e.g., empathy, unconditional positive regard, non-judgmentalstance), and a technical component, specifically the selective evocationand reinforcement of change talk. Miller and Rose hypothesized that itwas these two active ingredients that increased motivation (operationalizedby increased change talk) and subsequently better treatment outcomes, in this case, reduced drinking.