Motivational interviewing
Want to learn to use Motivational Interviewing (MI) to help people change their behaviors?
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Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based method of facilitating and engaging intrinsic motivation within a client to elicit behavior change and resolve internal conflicts. Multiple clinical trials prove its effectiveness in treating mental health disorders and substance abuse, promoting healthy lifestyles, and helping patients follow medical recommendations. The Institute for Health Professionals offers both the basics that will lay the foundation for your work to facilitate change using Motivational Interviewing, and the Intermediate skills you will need to make behavioral adaptations possible for your patients.
Foundations of Motivational Interviewing
Learn how to use the core Motivational Interviewing strategies to facilitate alterations in the behaviors your clients. During this practice-based class, we’ll focus on giving you a foundational understanding and skills of the MI process so you can help people create meaningful changes in their lives. You will learn:
The program
- Methods and principles of Motivational Interviewing
- Motivation theories underlying MI
- The 4 processes of Motivational Interviewing, and how to apply them
- The stages of change, using the wheel of change as a tool
- Integrating the spirit of motivational interviewing into your practice
- Applying the core strategies of MI: open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries
“My background is with the department of Public Safety. I decided to take this course to be able to communicate/interview students and staff with a better understanding. This course has helped me have a better understanding of the motivational interview process. In addition, it has helped me develop a skill-set to guide the clients to make healthier choices.” Ubaldo Garcia, Fall 2016
Motivational Interviewing – intermediate
You already have a basic understanding of Motivational Interviewing, but there are additional skills you’ll need to implement MI effectively with your clients and patients.
The program – intermediate
Learn how to apply strategies that will prepare patients to shift their behaviors, assess client readiness, and support and maintain change. Our practice-based class will also train you to adapt Motivational Interviewing methods for cross-cultural considerations. You will learn:
- Further applications of Motivational Interviewing as an approach to facilitate change
- Using the 4 processes of Motivational Interviewing in your practice
- Preparatory change talk
- Gauging readiness to change
- Transitioning to planning
- Supporting change as a daily, long-term practice
- Cultural considerations, and how to adapt MI strategies accordingly
Advanced Motivational Interviewing
Provides advanced practice-based training for professionals in any setting who support behavior change. Participants deepen their application of Motivational Interviewing (MI) by exploring goal-directed behavior, commitment change talk, resistance and sustain talk, the helper’s influence on client outcomes, and how MI complements longer-term helping approaches.
The program – advanced
You’ll learn:
- Apply strategies to evoke commitment change talk.
- Demonstrate effective responses to resistance and other barriers to change.
- Apply strategies to respond to and reduce sustain talk.
- Apply strategies to strengthen goal-directed behavior and enhance motivation for change.
Format: 1 day, 8 hours of in-class instruction.
CEU eligibility: Earn 8 CEU hours, applicable for most healthcare providers.
Motivational Interviewing Micro-Credential
- Complete all three of the Motivational Interviewing courses above to qualify for a MC Certificate of Completion.
- Micro-credential certificate request: When you have completed all three courses, if you’d like a certificate, please fill out the .
About the instructor
Charles Smith, MSW, CSWA, is the Principal at Charles Smith and Associates LLC, providing clinical services and therapeutic martial arts with adults, youth, and families, and is the owner of Portland Soo Bahk Do martial arts center.
Mr. Smith has 17 years of family preservation treatment experience, 40 years of training experience, and 20 years of supervision and management experience. He became a Certified Motivational Interviewing Trainer in 1993, and is also a Certified Trainer in Social Services Competency Based Training (1996).
In his various roles, Mr. Smith serves as the program coordinator for the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation of Oregon, a Parent Partner at the Family to Family Health Information Center, and a therapist at Black Men and Women in Training LLC. He also teaches at Tennessee State University. In his free time, Mr. Smith enjoys spending time with family, playing golf, and exploring nature.
Upcoming courses
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Need help? Contact professional.training@pcc.edu.