Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing

Course Overview:

Researchers at the Konrad Lorenz Research Station in Austria found that ravens console friends feeling stressed after fights.

Being non-judgemental and taking the time to understand and relate to another person’s perspective is one of the most powerful tools in motivating them to change their behaviour.

Motivational Interviewing is an evidence based treatment originally developed in the treatment of alcoholism, which has since been implemented in addiction treatment, counselling in general and in other arenas where strengthening motivation for behaviour change is the objective. It has been implemented in the justice, criminal and health care systems. It is useful in improving business and personal relationships.

Course Outline:

Section One: Introduction and Course Overview

Section Two: How do we usually try to convince someone to change?

  • Role play

Section Three: What is Motivational Interviewing?

  • Characteristics of MI
  • Spirit of MI
  • Group exercise

Section Four: Stages of Change Model

  • How does it apply?
  • Recognizing where the client is in the cycle of change
  • How do we apply MI accordingly?

Section Five: Ambivalence

Section Six: Change talk and sustain talk

  • Recognizing change and sustain talk

Section Seven: The method of Motivational Interviewing

  • Engaging
  • Focusing
  • Evoking
  • Planning

Section Eight: The OARS

  • Open ended questions
  • Eliciting change talk
  • Affirmations
  • Reflective listening
  • Summarizing
  • Exercises
  • Role plays

Section Nine: Resistance

  • Defined and normalized
  • Responding to resistance

Section Ten: Wrap –up

  • Summarizing
  • The way forward

Tagged under

leadership communication

Course reference: MOT115

Duration: Two Days (2 Days)

Time: 09h00 - 15h30

Type: Onsite at your work premises, Open (Public) Course, Online via Skype


Fact: Managers and Supervisors lose hours each week through ineffective communication and lack of motivation.


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Training Methods: This workshop includes dynamic trainee/trainer interactions and discussions, written and oral exercises, role plays, case studies, reflection, quizzes and a workbook for each participant to take back to the workplace. This workshop is also available online.


Target Audience: This workshop is designed for Employee Assistance Program personnel (EAP’s), HR personnel, counsellors and is beneficial to all people in managerial positions.



  • There is no doubt that this workshop has everything you need in order to lead people and have great productivity at the same time.

    Thabo: Supervisor Training

Our mission

'Empowering others to help themselves through training, education & motivation.'