Foundations in Motivational Interviewing

March 25, 2026 to March 27, 2026

Training Description:

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is, basically a way of "hosting helpful conversations". It is an evidence-based, person centered and guiding approach to communication that serves to help clients develop and strengthen their motivation to pursue (pre-determined) changes. It also helps to guide clients in setting and following through on goals that will lead to those changes. It has been shown to dramatically reduce client resistance and reluctance in helping conversations. It helps to bolster engagement in a variety of behaviour and lifestyle change processes.

Come prepared to gain new insight into what works best in helper-client conversations relationship. You'll have a lot of fun trying out the MI approach through a variety of creative and thought-provoking exercises and case discussions. This 3-day foundational workshop serve as an introduction to the core components of MI.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this 3-day introductory workshop, learners will be able to:

• Articulate the four processes of a Motivational Interviewing conversation, and how these relate to hosting helpful conversations with clients
• Explain how the principles and practices of MI could positively influence their work with the client population they serve
• Explain how key MI skills are best utilized in the context of each of the four processes that constitute an MI exchange
• Demonstrate use of the five Motivational Interviewing "OARS-I" skills through supervised practice in (composite) client-scenario cases
• Identify "change talk" in the context of client conversation, and practice eliciting and shaping such client speech patterns with foundational MI practices and principles
• Demonstrate four ways of responding to client "change talk" once it has been elicited or expressed
• Articulate the stages of the Transtheoertical Model of Change as it relates to the process of personal change and to intrinsic motivation for change
• Explain how central concepts in Motivational Interviewing are related to the Transtheoertical Model of Change
• Explain differences between the Motivational Interviewing approach to understanding client resistance and other traditional approaches
• Articulate an action plan for how they will further practice with M.I. in their own work settings in the month following introductory training.

Training Schedule:

Date: March 25 - 27, 2026 (3 days)
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Venue: In-Person

Facilitator:

Paul Burke, B.Ed., M.A., CACII, RSW, Member: International MINT

Paul is the TEAM Leader: Paul Burke Training & Consulting Group. He is a registered social worker with extensive clinical and training experience in the application of M.I. to healthcare provision, issues related to homeless persons, the hard-to-house, chronic disease management, street outreach service providers, diabetes, youth work and youth outreach, addictions and mental health counselling, and to a large variety of mandated and "resistant" populations. Paul became a member of the international MINT (Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers) community in Crete, Greece, in 2003.

Before developing his full-time practice in MI training, Paul had a 22-year career with Alberta Mental Health and Addictions Services. In that capacity, he provided treatment and program design services with a special focus on youth and adult clients with concurrent disorders. He developed and was clinical supervisor in a long-term in-patient adolescent treatment program in Alberta and was counselling supervisor in a major adult in-patient rehabilitation program in Alberta (Henwood) for several years and also had positions as Trainer and Training Coordinator in the addictions field prior to leaving government in 2002 to form his own private training and consulting practice.

 

---

View More Events