Workshops

You’ve dealt with clients who express ambivalence about major changes in their life. Although a normal response, ambivalence can keep clients from facing challenges, making decisions, or reaching goals. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tested tool for communicating with ambivalent clients?

Joseph Walsh of VCU School of Social Work has just such a tool. Motivational interviewing is a client-centered, directive method for enhancing motivation to change by exploring and resolving a client’s ambivalence. Joe takes a collaborative approach that sees a clients motivation to participate as a characteristic of a worker-client relationship, and not just an attitude a client brings to a meeting.

As a result of participating in the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand the deliberate process of change that all people experience when facing a major life challenge
• Assess any client’s position in the change process
• Implement the four basic strategies of motivational interviewing
• Implement ten response strategies for clients who express ambivalence

This session should be of interest to service providers working directly with clients as well as managers interested in better coaching their direct reports.

American Sign Language interpreters or other communication access accommodations are available upon request. Please submit any accommodations requests to Andrew Robinson, Program Manager, 434-951-9042 or arobinson@thecne.org.