12.10.25 10am-12pm Motivational Interviewing (virtual)
Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 10am-12pm
Training Overview:
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centered counseling approach designed to strengthen an individual’s motivation and commitment to change. This interactive training equips participants with the foundational principles, spirit, and core skills of MI, including expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy.
Through a blend of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice, participants will learn how to engage clients in meaningful conversations about change, enhance intrinsic motivation, and reduce ambivalence. The training emphasizes the use of open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summarizing (OARS) to foster a supportive and nonjudgmental environment.
At the conclusion of this training, participants should be able to:
- Understand the underlying spirit and principles of MI.
- Apply MI techniques to elicit and strengthen change talk.
- Respond effectively to resistance and ambivalence.
- Integrate MI strategies into their existing practice to promote positive behavioral change.
Continuing education units (CEUs) are available thanks to the Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI) for the following disciplines:
- Certified Addiction Professionals (CCAPP)
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
- Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEP)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC)
- Registered Nurses (RN)
Equity Statement
The San Francisco Department of Public Health is committed to leading with race and prioritizing Intersectionality, including sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, class, nationality, language, and ability. SFDPH strives to move forward on the continuum of becoming an anti-racist institution through dismantling racism, building, building solidarity among racial groups, and working towards becoming a Trauma-Informed/Trauma Healing Organization in partnership with staff, clients, communities, and our contractors. When attending, SFDP trainings, events, and/or meetings, we uphold expectations and standards of rules of engagement for our employees and contractors. We expect that all participants operate in professional integrity and adhere to the DPH Employee Code of Conduct or their employee conduct. Participants will be accountable for upholding any group agreements provided by the trainer or host and uphold principles of transparency, confidentiality and respect. We support respectful participation across intersecting identities and experiences including race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, class, nationality, religion, language, physical and mental ability, and political ideology. While we strive to make an space of inclusivity, belonging, and hub for various perspective, we do not tolerate any inappropriate behavior or comments rooted in anti-blackness, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, sexism, or any comments or behavior that is discriminatory, disruptive, or divisive. If participants cannot abide by these expectations, they will be removed from the training or event and will not be allowed to attend any additional DPH trainings, event, and/or meetings. Trainers have been informed to notify DPH of any misconduct and a DPH representative will follow up with that employee’s supervisor or participant’s agency regarding the misconduct.
