Motivational Interviewing Training

Upcoming Cohorts:

There are no upcoming cohorts of this training planned at this time. Please check back again later.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicant must:

Be licensed or license-eligible (i.e., undergoing formal clinical supervision for licensure from a licensed clinical supervisor) to provide therapy services.
Possess a masters degree or higher in a mental health related field by the date of training.
Currently be providing therapy services to youth (under 18 years of age) residing in Fairfax County.
Be available to attend in-person for the full duration of training without interruption.
Complete brief surveys used to evaluate the training program(s).

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Unless otherwise stated in a training program's official application announcement, all of the above criteria apply. There are programs with additional requirements and programs with exceptions to these criteria; additions and exceptions are listed within training announcements and should not be assumed applicable across programs.

Email CEBBH@gmu.edu for further information.

Training Features

Target Audience: Licensed behavioral health clinicians or those under supervision for clinical licensure providing services to adolescents.
Target treatment population: adolescents.
Clinical Focus: training in use of motivational interviewing techniques to improve readiness to change unhealthy, unhelpful, and/or high-risk behaviors.
Training Structure: One 8‑hour core training days.
Delivery Format: In‑person.

Full Description

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based approach to support behavior change. It 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.” (Miller & Rollnick, 2013, p. 29). Depending on the presenting problem, it can be used on its own or combined with other treatment approaches. MI has been applied across a broad range of settings (e.g. health, corrections, human services, education), populations (e.g. age, ethnicity, religion, sexuality and gender identities), languages, treatment format (e.g. individual, group, telemedicine) and presenting concerns (e.g. health, fitness, nutrition, risky sex, treatment adherence, medication adherence, substance use, mental health, illegal behaviors, gambling, parenting).

MI compares well to other evidence-based approaches in formal research studies. It is also compatible with the values of many disciplines and evidence-based approaches.