Professional Development Opportunity from SpeakUp ReachOut

Presented by Dr. Robert Rhode, this event is in-person and free to peer support leads, clinicians, first responders, and interested community members. *No CE's are available for this session. 

Light refreshments will be provided

Clients often have reasons to do a health promoting behavior (stop smoking, decrease substance use, take prescribed medication, exercise, make appointments for care, follow a diet). They also have reasons to NOT do this same behavior. Most people who are considering suicide are similarly ambivalent: they want relief from their pain, but they are also reluctant to end their life. Because of these reasons for and against, clients will often resist direct advice to do the health promoting behavior. A health care provider who has tools in addition to giving information or advice will likely see more client improvement.

Motivational interviewing can be such a tool. The health care provider helps the client to develop reasons to change from his or her perspective. This helping style has been compared to dancing rather than wrestling with the client. Not only does the client feel more respected, he or she often creates more connection with the health goal, and the health care provider is freed from shouldering the burden of change. This respects the reality of the answer to the question, "Who has to have the motivation to do the health promoting behavior, the health care provider or the client?"

You have clients. You know the probable benefits the clients would gain if they were to follow your advice. Instead of trying to install your reasons into the client, you can use this seminar to enhance your skills in helping the clients find their personal reasons to connect with the health promoting behavior. A motivational interviewing helping style might help you do what you are already doing in a more helpful way.

Following this presentation participants will be able to:

1. List health promoting behaviors on which they or other health care providers are often focused.

2. Identify where in their client consults a guiding style, rather than a directing style, might be useful.

3. Describe examples of the spirit of motivational interviewing (collaboration and respecting client autonomy) that they have in their consults or organization.

4. Practice using a guiding style in response to client statements.

5. Recognize the client’s language that might indicate motivation to move toward health.

6.  Practice responding to clients using a motivational interviewing style.

Motivational Interviewing takes place on April 11 from 9 AM - 12 PM at Colorado Mountain College. Learn more and register at https://www.speakupreachout.org/training-sessions/mi