Motivational Interviewing to Cultivate Change in Problematic Substance Users 

Overview: This workshop is designed to support helpers in refining Motivational Interviewing (MI) skills with clients struggling with problematic substance use. Dr. Bethea-Walsh will use real plays, small group exercises, and large group drills to practice MI “Spirit” and MI methods. Participants will have the opportunity refine MI methods, including reflections that cultivate or strengthen change talk (client language in the direction of change). Participants will also practice methods to consolidate commitment in a directive and strategic manner. Participants will practice interviewing skills to effectively respond to sustain talk (client language about not changing) and relationship discord (i.e., client power struggles, withdrawal, blaming, etc.).

Objectives:

At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to:

• Identify change talk.
• Utilize three MI principles or intervewing skills to elicit and strengthen change talk.
• Ultilize three MI principles or interviewing skills to soften sustain talk.
• Observe and discuss videotaped demonstrations of MI.
• Develop a plan for how to integrate MI into clinical practice. 

Who Should Attend: This intermediate level workshop is appropriate for helping professionals or paraprofessionals who have completed introductory MI training and who have practiced MI in an applied setting (i.e., Mental Health and Addictions Counselors, Psychologists, Social Workers, Physicians, Nurses, Managers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Research Study Personnel, Probation/Corrections Officers and Counselors, Peer Recovery Support, Health/Life Coaches, Resident Assistants, Educators, Behavior Specialists, Drug Court Providers, Pastoral Counselors, etc.).

Dr. Angela Bethea-Walsh

Dr. Bethea-Walsh is a Licensed Psychologist in Georgia. She received her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Lehigh University. Dr. Bethea-Walsh completed a 3-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Health and Addictions Psychology at  Mount Sinai St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

She is currently the owner of Bethea Consulting and Psychological Services, P.C., a private practice located in Atlanta, Georgia. As a psychologist, she specializes in delivering evidence-based, culturally-sensitive interventions to treat problematic substance use, substance use disorders, stress related to racial and sexual  identity development, relationship concerns, depression, anxiety (including performance anxiety), insomnia, weight loss, chronic pain and illness management. 

She performs behavioral health evaluations and screens. She conducts substance use evaluations with collegiate and professional athletes. She provides psychological screens for medical interventions, such as weight loss surgery and fertility/reproduction treatment including 3^rd party reproduction (i.e., gestational surrogates). She also provides clinical supervision and consultation.

Dr. Bethea-Walsh is a member of the international Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). For almost 15 years, she has been practicing Motivational Interviewing (MI). She has been training health care providers in MI practice for over 10 years. She has conducted MI training in a wide variety of clinical settings, mandated programs for professional athletes and programs providing support for women involved in sex trafficking. She provides a monthly online consultation group, “MI Change Cre8tors” for healthcare providers feeling stuck in work with ambivalent or “resistant” clients. She is also the Chief Behavioral Officer for Corporate Health Partners, where she provides MI coaching for health coaches, program directors and other administrators.

Her trainings are fast-paced, highly informative and interactive. For more information about Dr. Bethea-Walsh, her clinical work and workshop experience, go to: http://www.betheacps.com

Conflicts of Interest: No conflicts reported

Schedule:

8:00 - 8:30 am

Registration and light continental breakfast

8:30 - 10:00 

Logistics, Introductions, Training Objectives, Overview

• Common Helping Styles and Ambivalence
• The Limitations of Overly Directive, Persuasive Styles of Helping with Ambivalent Clients
• Thomas Gordon's Roadblocks to Communication 

10:00 - 10:10

Break

10:10 - 11:40

Client Language in MI

• Mechanisms of Change: Types of Change Talk (DARN CAT)
• How to Evoke Change Talk 

11:40 - 12:50 pm

Lunch (on your own)

12:50 - 2:20

How to Respond to Client Language in MI

• How to Respond to Change Talk
• How to Soften Sustain Talk (Client arguments against change)
• How to Diffuse Discord Effectively (i.e., Client power struggles, withdrawal, blaming, justifying behaivor, etc.)

2:20 - 2:30 

Break

2:30 - 4:00

How to Respond to Client Language in MI (Continued)

• Change Planning for Clinical Practice 
• Wrap Up

Register Now!