People I meet in my MI training work often ask about what they can do next to build on what they have learned, and improve their skills. Once you’ve attended an introductory training, or done some reading and practice or worked with a coach on MI skills, it might be time to consider what you are doing well with MI, and where you want to feel more confident.
Here’s an exercise that I use in skills training workshops. I encourage you to actually write the answers, either on paper, or on your computer screen. I find that seeing these answers in front of you makes things clearer.
- What’s one thing in your interactions with clients that you are doing well, that which feels comfortable to you?
- What’s one thing you do in your interactions w clients that you want to let go?
- What’s one thing you want to enhance, improve, do better or more of with clients?
You can certainly write about more than one thing in answer to these questions. The point here is that you have some goals in mind for your own development as a clinician using Motivational Interviewing. The next steps are to find ways to get help and supervision to develop your skills. Here are some ideas for doing that.
- Find a MI trained clinician for coaching and supervision. Look for someone who is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), the international professional association of MI trainers. You can be sure that a MINT member is well qualified to teach MI.*
- Read and practice the skills you have identified. I recommend David Rosengren’s second edition of Building Motivational Interviewing Skills (http://bit.ly/2gGynOt) , but the first edition is terrific, too. This is a self-study workbook, designed to help advance MI skills.
- Find a study partner, perhaps a colleague interested in MI as well. Discuss cases, brainstorm difficult clients, and generally support each other in developing your MI skills.
- Watch videos online, listen critically, and use the “counting” sheet described in this issue.
*Dr. Ellen is available for individual or group coaching in MI. Contact her at ellen@TrainingWithDrEllen.com for details and pricing.
