Motivational Interviewing Foundations

Open to all practice staff.

In this interactive session, participants will learn the core principles of motivational interviewing (MI) approaches, as well as the compelling research supporting motivational interviewing across a wide range of behavior changes, settings, and populations. Participants will learn the foundational techniques of MI and practice them with partners.

1. Participants will be able to describe the core principles and spirit of motivational interviewing, including collaboration, empathy, and autonomy, differentiate these from traditional counseling approaches, and understand the research demonstrating the evidence base supporting its effectiveness in facilitating behavior change.

2. Participants will learn and practice specific communication techniques such as reflective listening, open-ended questions, and communication of empathy to enhance client engagement and facilitate behavior change dialogue.

3. Participants will be equipped to recognize signs of ambivalence in clients and learn strategies to assess, explore and resolve this ambivalence.

4. Participants will engage in video exercises and practice to apply motivational interviewing techniques in various contexts, gaining confidence and competence in utilizing these skills with clients.”