Motivational Interviewing Skills Workshop

22-23 July, 2025

A Live, Interactive Webinar

Description:

This intensive 2-day workshop provides skills training in Motivational Interviewing (MI), which is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). The workshop will review the foundational constructs related to MI with an emphasis on the Spirit of MI. Participants will practice fundamental client centered counseling skills (OARS+I) across the four processes of an MI encounter (Engage, Focus, Evoke, Plan). The workshop will articulate when it is appropriate to use MI skills in a clinical encounter with a focus on health behavioral changes. Videotaped examples of MI sessions will be used to demonstrate therapist skills.

Participant participation in real-plays to demonstrate MI skills and attendance at both days of the workshop are required for training completion. Participants will leave the workshop with a personalized plan to continue MI skills practice and reflective feedback.

Total CE Credits: 14

Total Contact Hours: 14

Learning Objectives:

Following the training, attendees will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the history and foundational constructs related to MI.

2. Explain the utility of Motivational Interviewing (MI) as an evidence-based, person-centered method for communicating and for fostering change and growth within a broad range of areas. 

3. Analyze the empirical, peer-reviewed evidence and theoretical basis for the use of MI style conversation in facilitating behavioral changes and personal growth.

4. Apply the relational guiding relational spirit of MI to include the elements of partnership, acceptance, compassion and empowerment (PACE).

5. Use person-centered communication skills to include open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries (OARS) across each of the four tasks (engage, focus, evoke, plan) of an MI-style conversation. 

6. Analyze conversations for cultural conversation “traps” (e.g., “fixing reflex”) to avoid when discussing change and growth. 

7. Demonstrate recognition of change talk (DARNCATs) and enhance listening skills related to the language of change.

8. Differentiate between preparatory (DARN) and mobilizing change (CAT) talk within a MI conversation example.

9. Integrate inviting, responding to, and strengthening change talk (DARNCATs) skills within a real play encounter.

10. Apply MI consistent guidance within the planning task, specifically discuss brief action planning (BAP), evoking confidence, and how to give information in an MI consistent way.

11. Develop skills for responding to discord and sustain talk within a clinical MI conversational style.

12. Integrate the guidelines for ethical use of MI and cultural humility considerations into the practice of MI.

13. Design an individualized plan for continued practice and feedback within MI style.

Target Audience: For behavioral health providers who treat military personnel, veterans, and their families.   

Instructional Content Level:   Intermediate

Agenda: 

***One hour for lunch and two 15-minute breaks each day to be assigned as needed.

Continuing Education:

Course Completion Requirements: Participants are required to attend the entire training. Partial credits cannot be issued. Attendance is taken through the use of electronic logs, and a post-training evaluation form must be completed in order to receive ACE social work CE credits. For other CE credits, completion of the evaluation is strongly encouraged, but if you do not wish to complete the evaluation, please contact the training event's POC after the training event.  

There is a 30-day time limit post-training to complete all CE requirements. CE Credit Certificates will be made available on CE21 within 30 days after all course requirements have been completed. 

American Psychological Association Sponsor Approval:

The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

Association of Social Work Boards Approved Continuing Education Provider Approval:

The Center for Deployment Psychology, #1761, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program.  Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers.  State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit.  The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this course.  ACE provider approval period: May 19, 2022 – May 19, 2025.  Social workers completing this course receive 14 Live, Interactive Webinar continuing education credits.

New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology Provider Approval:

The Center for Deployment Psychology is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0178). 

New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work Provider Approval:

The Center for Deployment Psychology is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0744).

Inquiries regarding CE credits may be directed via email to Will Tiwari at william.tiwari.ctr@usuhs.edu.

Participate:

Online Platform: Zoom

Date: 22-23 July, 2025

Time: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Eastern 

Registration Information:  https://deploymentpsych.org/training

Registration Deadline: Registration for this training closes one week prior to the first day of training. 

Cancellations/Questions: Please contact Will Tiwari at william.tiwari.ctr@usuhs.edu if you have any questions or need to cancel your registration.

Registration Cost/Refunds: Free for those with a .mil email address/$45 for all othersRegistration fees will be refunded to participants who send a written cancellation via email to william.tiwari.ctr@usuhs.edu no less than 2 weeks before the training. No refunds will be made after the training.

Location Information: Zoom 

Instructional Format: This live webinar is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions.

System Requirements:   

Zoom: 

• Internet connection

• Operating System: Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X with MacOS 10.9 or higher

• Web Browser: Internet Explorer 11+, Edge 12+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+, Safari 7+

• Hardware: 1Ghz processor or higher

Special Accommodations: If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact William Tiwari at william.tiwari.ctr@usuhs.edu 4 weeks prior to the training so that we may provide you with appropriate service.

Grievances: For any grievances or concerns with this training including those related to course content, non-receipt of certificate or other occurrences, participants may contact CDP’s Continuing Education Director, Ms. Amanda Milochik, via email at amanda.stanley-hulsey.ctr@usuhs.edu.   

Instructor Biographies: 

Kevin M. Holloway, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist working as Director, Online Training, Technology, and Telehealth (OT3) at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) and Assistant Professor of Medical and Clinical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.  In this capacity, he leads a team of subject matter experts and support staff to develop and present workshops across the world to military and civilian audiences on topics in deployment behavioral health and evidence-based therapies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Additionally, he leads a team of mental health subject matter experts and technology experts to develop and disseminate technology solutions to improve access to and quality of professional training. This team was recognized as Gold Medal winners in the International Serious Play Awards 2019 for Operation AVATAR, Bronze Medal winners in the International Serious Play Awards 2020 for Build a Bedroom, and Gold Medal Award for Second Life Island for Preventing Suicide (SLIPS) in 2023, all interactive provider training environments in Second Life.

Dr. Holloway received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Brigham Young University in 2004, and completed his doctoral internship at the Portland, Oregon Veterans Administration hospital.  

Prior to joining CDP, Dr. Holloway worked at the Department of Defense’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology, where he led the Center’s Virtual Worlds Program which explored the use of shared virtual environments for immersive, interactive patient education, provider training, and telemental health applications.  The program was recognized as a Computerworld Honors Laureate in 2012 for the T2 Virtual PTSD Experience.  Dr. Holloway also led or contributed to projects investigating virtual reality exposure (VRE) therapy to treat PTSD, training providers in using VRE, gaming motivation for health applications, and video teleconferencing for telemental health.  

Earlier in his career, Dr. Holloway was a staff psychologist at Madigan Army Medical Center, providing care to active-duty soldiers with an emphasis on combat-related PTSD and other anxiety disorders.

Jenna Ermold, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist working as the Assistant Director of Online Training, Technology and Telehealth for the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Ermold oversees the development of online and face-to-face trainings for behavioral health clinicians to improve clinical and cultural competency in working with military members and their families. Dr. Ermold also presents workshops on deployment behavioral health topics for clinicians across the country. She is lead on CDP’s monthly webinar series, CDP Presents, and serves as a host on the Center’s podcast, Practical for Your Practice. She is a graduate of the Malcolm Grow (USAF) Medical Center Psychology Residency Program and served on active duty as a psychologist in the United States Air Force from 2002 to 2006.

Dr. Ermold graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in psychology and English and received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Vermont. She specializes in military culture, health psychology, behavioral health integration into primary care, post-traumatic stress disorder, prolonged exposure therapy and military psychology.

**There is no commercial support or conflict of interest to report for these presenters.