Motivational Interviewing: Basics Overview 

Join dynamic workshop leader Stephen Andrew as he gives an introduction to the evidence and practice-based clinical method of motivational interviewing (MI).  After orientation to the underlying spirit and principles of MI, practical exercises help participants to strengthen empathy skills, recognize and elicit client change talk, and roll with resistance. 

Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person's own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.

About the trainer: 

Stephen R. Andrew LCSW, LADC, CCS, CGP is a storyteller, consultant, trainer, co-author of Game Plan: A Man’s Guide to Achieving Emotional Fitness, and Chief Energizing Officer of Health Education & Training Institute. He maintains a compassion-focused private practice in Portland, Maine (USA) where he also facilitates a variety of men’s, co-ed, couples, and caregiver groups. Stephen has been a member of the International Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2003 as well as a MIA-STEP (Motivational Interviewing Assessment; Supervisor Tools for Enhancing Proficiency) trainer for the New England ATTC. Stephen has been MITI trained and has over 100 hours of training in Motivational Interviewing. He provides coaching and training domestically and internationally (Singapore, China, Iceland, Holland, Sweden, Poland, Turkey, & UK) for social service agencies, health care providers, substance abuse counselors, criminal justice, and other groups on Motivational Interviewing, addiction, co-occurring disorders, counseling theory, “challenging” adolescents, supervision, ethics for caring services professionals, men’s work, and the power of group work. Stephen also oversees our MITI Coding and coaching lab.