What is Motivational Interviewing (MI)?

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a “particular way of talking about change and growth that strengthens a client’s own motivational and commitment.” (Miller & Rollnick, 2023). It is a collaborative approach to conversation with over 40 years of research around the world demonstrating its efficacy in a wide variety of areas, including substance use, physical activity, dental hygiene, housing support, education, chronic disease management, nutrition, and medication adherence, just to name a few!

What are trainings like?

Interactive, engaging, and fun! Training sessions consist of small bits of lecture, with lots of discussion, demonstration, activities, and practice time. Since MI is about conversation, it’s vital to have hands-on practice with these concepts in practice conversations in a low-stakes setting.

Can you include specific issues my organization works with in your training?

Absolutely - all of my trainings are customized with examples, activities, and videos made as relevant as possible to the audience. A few examples of training topics I have focused on are: behavioral health, substance use, tobacco use, housing, immunizations, dental hygiene, and med adherence.

A lot of people at my organization have had MI training in the past - would they still benefit?

Yes! MI is a complex set of skills that does not lend itself to a one-and-done training; ongoing support, feedback, and review is vital. Additionally, MI has evolved over time; my trainings are up-to-date with the latest research and descriptions of MI concepts, and look quite different from my trainings from 15 years ago.

The sessions I design are typically “all levels” - because we primarily engage in hands-on activities, people with any level of previous exposure to MI will benefit.

Do you offer follow-up support?

Yes, follow-up support is included in pricing for any training that is a full-day or longer. Support options include up to six months of virtual group coaching sessions and individual feedback sessions for a limited number of participants. These on-going skill-building activities are key to developing proficiency in MI.