Motivational Interviewing for Mental Health Professionals
This 2-hour CE course is designed for counselors seeking to enhance their clinical skills through the use of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a collaborative, person-centered approach that strengthens an individual’s motivation for and commitment to change. MI is especially effective in addressing ambivalence and promoting behavioral change across diverse populations and clinical issues, including substance use, mental health, and behavioral health.
Participants will explore the foundational principles and techniques of MI, learn how to integrate MI into various counseling settings, and practice applying MI-consistent skills through case examples. This course emphasizes the spirit of MI, including partnership, collaboration, acceptance, and evocation, the stages of change transtheoretical model, as well as the four processes of MI (engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning). Clinicians will be equipped with structured tools and handouts to support each process.
Whether new to MI or seeking a refresher, attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to integrate MI strategies into their clinical practice.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define key concepts of Motivational Interviewing including stages of change
- Recognize client language that signals readiness or resistance to change using the Stage of Change framework
- Recognize the four processes of motivational interviewing engaging, focusing, evoking, planning, as well as clinical techniques to support each
- Utilize MI-consistent responses to facilitate client engagement; and recognize and evoke change talk.
- Integrate MI principles into treatment planning and goal setting across various clinical scenarios.
Presenter: Jessica Sanderson LMFT., Ph.D
When: Friday, February 6th 2026 – 11:00am-1:00pm
Where: Urban Alliance Office: 62 Village Street East Hartford, CT 06108
Continuing Education Credit Available: 2 NBCC credit hours (NBCC Approval No. SP-5047)
If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at initiatives@urbanalliance.com
This course is offered by Urban Alliance – www.urbanalliance.com
