Motivational Interviewing

Provide support through conversations about change that focus on a person’s priorities, values and interests.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a strengths-based approach to conversations that helps draw out people’s own motivation and commitment to change in an atmosphere of compassion, acceptance, and partnership. The approach involves guiding and supporting a person through the process of sorting through mixed feelings about change.

MI is informed by continuously evolving evidence about the attitude, skills and strategies that are shown to assist clinicians who work with ambivalent clients in complex and difficult situations. It can be learned by anyone who is interested in supporting others to make healthy behaviour change, and it can be blended with other therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy or dialectical behavioural therapy.

 

Services

Motivational Interviewing Foundations Online Learning Pathway

 Self-paced with milestones and scheduled group activities. Approximately 16-18 hours.

 Appropriate for a wide range of professionals and peer helpers.

This learning pathway contains 3 online courses, focused on building an understanding of the spirit of MI and developing core skills, including using OARS (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries), responding to the way people talk about change, helping people to make Brief Action Plans, and understanding ‘resistance.’

Motivational Interviewing Foundations Workshop or Webinar

  16 hours training, followed by 2 x 30 minute video practice and feedback sessions.

  Appropriate for a wide range of professionals and peer helpers.

This training focuses on building an understanding of the spirit of MI and developing core skills, including using OARS (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries), responding to the way people talk about change, helping people to make Brief Action Plans, and understanding ‘resistance.’

Motivational Interviewing Beyond Foundations: Mini Online Courses

  Each course contains approximately 45-90 minutes self-paced online content, followed by a 30 minute practice and feedback session.

  Appropriate for a wide range of professionals and peers who have a foundational knowledge of MI.

The MI Beyond Foundations mini courses are designed for learners who want to deepen their MI knowledge, skills, strategies. Each mini course focuses on one concept and is designed with practical application in mind.

Abbreviated Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment Rating Form

  Self-paced with milestones and scheduled activities. Approximately 3-4 hours

  Appropriate for anyone with a foundational knowledge of motivational interviewing.

In this course you will complete an MI skills recording and learn how to use the Abbreviated Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment (A-MICA) rating form to rate it.  The A-MICA rating form is a practical assessment tool that can be used to help you know where you are on your MI journey and identify areas for growth.

Motivational Interviewing Beyond Foundations Virtual Training

  Combination of webinar, self-paced online content, and practice and feedback sessions, totaling 19 hours.

 Appropriate for a wide range of professional helpers and peers.

This training will go beyond foundational skills, delving deeper into the spirit of MI, the four processes of MI and working with people who may not seem ready or interested in making changes.

Motivational Interviewing Foundations and Brief Action Planning Train the Trainer Workshop

   4 days

  Appropriate for educators who are certified in Brief Action Planning.

   Prerequisites:

This workshop will prepare educators to deliver the MI Foundations (MI) Workshop and Brief Action Planning (BAP) Workshop.

Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers Training of New Trainers Prep Program

   Depending on scope of request

  Ideal for people who have taken MI Foundations, MI Beyond the Foundations or equivalent and have done some MI training and are committed to excellence in MI.

CCMI’s Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) Preparation Program will support MI learners who would like to apply for membership in MINT, an international organization promoting high quality MI practice. The program will include access to CCMI’s MINT trainer team, materials, and services to prepare their application. Each cohort of learners will co-design their experience which may include MI journal club, practice & feedback, peer review of recordings and applications, and webinars on selected topics.

MI Skills Demonstration

  30-minute skills demonstration session and 30-minute follow-up coaching call.

  Any individual with knowledge of motivational interviewing

Learning MI is a journey. We all start out at different places and proceed at a pace that works for us. Knowing where you are on your journey, just like knowing where you are on the map, helps you recognize how far you’ve come and consider where you want to go. MI skills demonstrations are an opportunity to record an interaction with a CCMI trainer acting as a standardized patient/client.

For those interested in joining the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, participating in MI Skills Demonstration with feedback is one element that may be an indicator of experiences the applicant has sought as part of their efforts to acquire competency in MI.

MINT-endorsed Training of New Trainers

  4-day virtual training September 18-21, 2023

The Centre for Collaboration, Motivation, and Innovation (CCMI) along with the Northwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NWATTC) are holding a virtual Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) endorsed Training of New Trainers (TNT) September 18-21, 2023. Completion of the TNT allows participants to join MINT, “an international organization of trainers in motivational interviewing.

We have reached our capacity to process applications. Thank you for your interest. Please consult the MINT website for upcoming TNTs. Applications open on March 8th for the MINT-sponsored in-person TNT in Copenhagen.

Practice & Feedback

Practice & Feedback calls increase trainees’ confidence and proficiency in MI skills. These one hour video sessions provide opportunities for participants to practice skills in groups of up to four with an MI trainer. Activities may include clarification of a topic, discussion of case studies, role play, real play, or something else that the learner suggests. This handout gives more information about what to expect from video practice and feedback sessions.

These calls are an integral part of skill development, and we encourage learners to attend a session if further skill development is wanted. 

Resources

Dr. Gutnick shares a personal story about using motivational interviews to work with a patient in her practice.

Learning Motivational Interviewing is like learning how to swim: time is spent out of the pool learning the what, why, and how but the most valuable time is spent practicing and receiving feedback on practice. As with any new skill, you build on what you already know. Many clinicians begin with basic skills that involve active listening and appreciating the expertise people have about their own lives. Most people practice with other staff and try out skills with patients as opportunities arise. Workbooks, exercises, coaching and practice over time all improve MI skills.

Motivational Interviewing: A Conversation Style to Improve Engagement

Patients as Partners Knowledge-Building Webinar presented by CCMI
Presented on: Thursday February 12th, 2015

Motivational interviewing is a person-centred conversation style that helps to engage the person and increase their own motivation. One of the key strengths of motivational interviewing is the emphasis on the person’s priorities, values and interests.

The principles of motivational interviewing have been successfully applied for about 30 years in a variety of fields that require behavior or lifestyle changes. These principles are especially important as part of a self-management system for people with chronic conditions.

For more information please watch this webinar presented by Connie Davis, co-director of CCMI. The webinar covers the following topics:

  • Motivational interviewing as an approach to improve engagement and increase motivation
  • The underlying “Spirit” of Motivational Interviewing
  • The four processes of motivational interviewing – engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning