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Description
Motivational Interviewing: How to Have Conversations That Create Change
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, evidence-based approach to helping people navigate ambivalence and strengthen their own motivation for change. For beginning therapists, however, learning MI can require a significant shift from the instinct to advise, persuade, educate, or "fix" the problem. This workshop offers a practical introduction to the core spirit, principles, and skills of MI, with particular emphasis on how therapists can respond differently when clients are stuck, ambivalent, resistant, or unsure about change. Participants will learn foundational MI concepts including the four processes, the "righting reflex," sustain talk and change talk, OARS, reflective listening, and the importance of eliciting rather than imposing motivation.
Rather than relying primarily on lecture, this three-hour workshop is designed to be highly experiential. Participants will learn through demonstrations, guided exercises, role-plays, and real-time practice, allowing them to experience the difference between traditional helping responses and an MI-consistent approach. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a practical foundation in MI and a set of immediately usable skills for helping clients explore ambivalence, strengthen their own reasons for change, and move toward meaningful action without feeling pressured or pushed.
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About the Presenter:
Avi is a licensed psychotherapist, helping individuals and families work through various life issues. Avi has worked with teenagers, young adults, and adults, navigate through various issues, including addiction, depression, and anxiety. Specifically, Avi has worked on helping young adults work through feeling stuck while helping them learn to understand themselves better. Avi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW in NY & NJ) and a substance abuse and behavioral addiction counselor, focusing on sex addiction. Before entering the world of therapy, Avi was on track towards a career in finance. However, Avi recognized the importance of waking up to a job that he loves and shifted his career aspirations. Avi has never looked back.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the foundational principles and spirit of Motivational Interviewing, including PACE, ambivalence, the Righting Reflex, Change Talk, Sustain Talk, and the four processes of Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning.
- Identify and demonstrate core Motivational Interviewing skills, including OARS, DARN-CAT, readiness rulers, eliciting and reinforcing Change Talk, and responding effectively to Sustain Talk and resistance.
- Apply Motivational Interviewing strategies through experiential practice and role-play to collaboratively help ambivalent clients explore their own motivations for change, strengthen commitment, and develop client-driven plans for action.
Agenda:
0:00–0:10 | Introduction & Experiential Opening
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Introduction and overview of Motivational Interviewing (MI)
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Review the goals of the training and explain the emphasis on practice.
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Exercise: The Worst Advice — experience the difference between being told what to do and being helped to discover your own motivation.
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Brief discussion: What makes people more—or less—open to change?
0:10–0:25 | Understanding the Spirit of MI
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What is Motivational Interviewing, and why is it effective?
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Guiding beliefs: Empathy, Accountability, and MI.
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The Spirit of MI: PACE
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Partnership
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Acceptance and Autonomy
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Compassion
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Evocation
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What MI is—and what it is not.
0:25–0:45 | Ambivalence, Change Talk & the Righting Reflex
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Understanding ambivalence: Feeling two or more ways about one thing.
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Distinguishing Change Talk from Sustain Talk.
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Why arguing for change can strengthen a client's argument against change.
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The Righting Reflex: Our natural impulse to fix, advise, persuade, or convince.
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Discussion: The cost of trying to solve problems for clients.
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Brief exercise: Identify areas of personal ambivalence and recognize the Righting Reflex.
0:45–1:05 | Process 1: Engaging
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Empathic listening and understanding the client's perspective.
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Normalizing ambivalence.
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Acknowledging the client's concerns without making assumptions.
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Avoiding the Righting Reflex.
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Exercise: Empathic Listening Prompts — practice responding to common client statements without jumping into advice or problem-solving.
1:05–1:20 | Process 2: Focusing
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Helping clients identify a target area for change.
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Making sure the focus is important to the client.
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Agenda Mapping: Identifying the multiple concerns a client may bring into treatment.
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Avoiding the mistake of deciding the agenda for the client.
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Exercise: An overwhelmed client presents with anxiety, relationship problems, increased drinking, sleep difficulties, and work stress. Where would you start?
1:20–1:55 | Process 3: Evoking Change Talk
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Drawing out the client's own motivation for change.
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Listening for, highlighting, and reinforcing Change Talk.
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Avoiding the Expert Trap.
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DARN-CAT:
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Desire
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Ability
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Reasons
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Needs
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Commitment
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Activation
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Taking Steps
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How to elicit Change Talk through open-ended questions, elaboration, and connecting to the client's goals.
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Exercise: Practice eliciting Change Talk using DARN-CAT prompts.
1:55–2:10 | Readiness Ruler
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Assessing a client's readiness and confidence regarding change.
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Using the ruler to elicit additional Change Talk.
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Understanding how readiness influences the therapist's approach.
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Demonstration and partner practice: Explore a relatively low-stakes area of ambivalence using the Readiness Ruler.
2:10–2:35 | OARS: Core MI Skills
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Open-Ended Questions: Exploring the client's perspective and understanding their WHY.
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Affirmations: Highlighting values, effort, strengths, and self-efficacy rather than simply praising outcomes.
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Reflections: Responding to Sustain Talk without arguing or trying to convince.
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Simple reflections
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Amplified reflections
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Double-sided reflections
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Complex reflections
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Summaries: Pulling together the client's motivations and reinforcing Change Talk.
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Exercise: Reflection Dodgeball — practice responding to Sustain Talk using reflections only, without questions, advice, or problem-solving.
2:35–2:50 | Process 4: Planning & Working Through Resistance
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Recognizing when a client is ready to move toward action.
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Bridging the gap between contemplation and planning.
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Understanding resistance as the other side of ambivalence and a possible sign that the therapist is moving too quickly.
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Strategies for responding to resistance:
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Simple, amplified, and double-sided reflections
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Shifting focus
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Reframing
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Agreeing with a twist
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Emphasizing personal choice and control
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Coming alongside
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Brief practice: How would you respond to a client who is resistant to change?
2:50–3:00 | Integration, Takeaways & Closing
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Review the core MI skills and processes.
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Apply MI to a missed-opportunity scenario.
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Key takeaways:
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Frontload and clarify the presenting problem.
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Draw out the client's own motivations.
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Listen for and reinforce Change Talk.
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Use OARS and DARN-CAT.
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Assess readiness before moving into planning.
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Roll with resistance rather than confronting it.
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Questions and discussion.
Accreditation - This Webinar Offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Hours
- CE You LLC, #1573, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/27/2024 - 3/27/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 3 continuing education credits.
- CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
CE You! maintains responsibility for this program. - CE You LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0437
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0275.
This presentation is open to:
- Behavior Analysts
- Social Workers
- Professional Counselors
- Therapists
- Psychologists
- Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
- Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
- Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
This online class is offered at an intermediate level, and is beneficial for a beginner level clinician:
- New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
- Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
- Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
- Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives
Additional information
- Refunds: Registrants who are unable to attend a CeYou! Plus! seminar or live webinars may ask for, and will receive, a credit or refund (your choice). Refund requests will be processed within 3 business days. When an attendee knows in advance that they are unable to attend we ask that they inform CeYou! Plus! ahead of time by emailing [email protected] or by calling or texting 607-249-4585 this allows us to free up the spot in the training in the event that a training is at or near capacity.
- Disability Access: If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification.
- Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly.
- The grievance policy for trainings provided by CeYou! Plus! is available here
- Satisfactory Completion: Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion in your account or by clicking here
- Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.
- There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
- System Requirements: Any device (such as a computer, tablet, or phone), Dual-Core 2 GHz or higher processor, and at least 4 GB of RAM capable of running a Zoom session, along with a stable internet connection.
- Although early registration is recommended for this class in order to ensure the best experience, attendees may register and join until the start of the program