JULY 05 Motivational Interviewing News--Staying Fresh with Long Term Clients
MOTIVATION NEWS
Published by Cathy Cole, MSSW, LCSW Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers July 2005 http://www.cathycoletrainging.com \"What People Need is a Good Listening To\" Mary Lou Casey
MOTIVATION NEWS MAIN FEATURE STAYING FRESH WITH LONG TERM CLIENTS
IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO PLAN FOR YOUR FALL MI TRAINING!!!! WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS JUST BELOW.
IF YOU DO NOT SEE TRAINING THAT WILL FIT YOUR NEEDS, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT cathy@cathycoletraining.com IN ORDER TO DISCUSS HOW I CAN PROVIDE TRAINING TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS.
ABOUT MY WORKSHOPS; I have elected to limit the size of my workshops in order to maximize the opportunity to provide learning that can both address the concepts and practice of Motivational Interviewing while at the same time assist in the application of MI to each participants work setting.
I offer all participants the opportunity to submit a 15 minute audio-tape of an interview using the MI approach before and after each workshop. This will allow for you to have feedback on your progress in learning.
Onsite training is limited to 15 participants, both in Advanced and Introductory MI; Distance Learning classes are limited to 10.
ONSITE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Advanced Training in Motivational Interviewing--October 2005 A two day workshop at the Friday Center, Chapel Hill, NC Monday and Tuesday October 10-11, 2005; limited to 15 participants $580, 13 hours CE; CE Provider * 886383517 For details, visit http://www.cathycoletraining.com under Onsite Training
Introduction to Motivational Interviewing--November 2005 A 2 1/2 day workshop at the Friday Center, Chapel Hill, NC Monday, Tuesday and am Wednesday, November 15-16, 2005 Limited to 15 participants $580, 16 hours CE; CE Provider * 886383517 For details, visit http://www.cathycoletraining.com under Onsite Training
DISTANCE LEARNING TRAINING
Fall/Winter Teleclass Schedule
Join me and fellow classmates for the ease and convenience
of learning via telephone bridge line...no special equipment needed.
There are eight one hour sessions for this Basic MI training.
Class begins September 12 and concludes December 12, 2005
Teleclass Schedule
Introduction to MI: 8 one hour teleclasses
Mondays 3-4pm Eastern Time on these Mondays:
9-12, 9-19, 10-3, 10-17, 10-31, 11-7, 11-28, 12-12, 2005
Fee: $400 by 8-17; $450 after 8-17-05
CE approval via the National Association of Social Workers
CE Provider * 886383517
For full course description and registration click Distance Learning on my web site http://www.cathycoletraining.com or write to me at cathy@cathycoletraining.com
MI COACHING For individuals and agencies with previous MI training either with me or another MI trainer, I offer ongoing coaching/supervision in the application of MI. Please email me at cathy@cathycoletrainiing for more information.
This letter may be forwarded to anyone you feel could benefit as long as it is forwarded in its entirety. Past newsletters available via web site http://www.cathycoletraining.com
Welcome to Motivation News, a newsletter devoted to clinical information on the use of a Motivational Interviewing (MI) approach to change. The authors of this approach, William Miller, PhD and Stephen Rollnick, PhD define MI as a 'client centered, directive method for enhancing an intrinsic motivation for change by exploring and resolving ambivalence\". This collaborative approach to working with clients has wide application in coaching, mental health, addictions, health care and health education. Information in this newsletter is taken from various source material from the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and specifically from the book Motivational Interviewing, Preparing People for Change; Miller and Rollnick, 2nd edition, 2002, Guilford Press.
Motivational Interviewing: Staying Fresh with Long Term Clients
I am often asked how Motivational Interviewing fits in psychotherapy with potential long term clients. Iíll offer an answer in response to two prompts, one said to me and the other said by me to me. This was said to me by a colleague: ëI think I explore ambivalence too longí. This is what I said to me: ëHow did I paint myself into this corner?í
Both of us are mental health clinicians working with clients who have long standing histories of difficulty managing problematic behaviors that stem from trauma. Often management of distress takes the form of just digging in to cope as best as possible with little desire of finding a new way. We have many treatments available that we know help. Therein lies a dilemma. Anxiety about the future for clients if they donít tackle what we think is best is what seems to cloud my view the quickest, getting me right off track in using MI.
How does the difficulty in using MI come into play? When I asked my colleague what she meant, her response was that maybe she just ends up trying too hard/ too long and not hearing that the client really is not interested in, ready for, or capable of doing more. She ends up pressing, the client ends up retreating/defending, and she gets discouraged, begins to wonder if she is really a good clinician. Now how can that happen when she is just trying to explore ambivalence? It makes perfect sense when we go back to the most important part of making a change: the necessity of discrepancy between how it is now and what the client desires to be different. Try as we might with all those great methods we have, sometimes what WE think should happen is nowhere close to what the CLIENT wants. Reluctance for change is frequently embedded in fear of what change would mean or belief in the ability to make change.
So what should a clinician do in this situation? Of course, we want our clients to lead safer, fuller lives. In my thinking, this is where thoughtful, caring feedback comes into play, coupled with a way to ëroll with resistanceí (it is resistance we have likely created in our press for our agenda). It might sound like this: ëIím hearing you, that you donít want to push beyond where you are now. This does concern me, of course, since I want you to not be so in the grip of your past. However, it is more important to me that I respect that only you know yourself best and that I can trust you to tell me if and when you want to tackle this in another way.í
Now, with what I said to myself, ëHow did I paint myself into this corner?í A very similar client scenario, except this client is in a form of treatment that she considers to be what she needs. I have reservations for a variety of reasons but, in fact, as a member of her treatment team, I have supported as best I can the decision of the other clinician offering this treatment. As I was not too enthusiastically awaiting her appointment this week, I looked at myself in the corner, decided maybe the paint had dried enough for me to try to come out of the corner, and began to figure out just how to get out. But, how did I get there? As I reflected on this, I realized I had entered into my own decision about what was best for her, based on my worries about her overall mental health picture, and had proceeded to push that agenda (it happens to be best of us, correct?). I decided just to drop back and ask this open ended question: ëHow can I best help you in your life, to support how you are trying to take care of yourself with this other additional treatment?í
And what happened? She told me. What she needed was not what I would have come up with, but it felt like the most important thing to her. Together we talked about her plan for trying to obtain what she needed. I have no idea if she can be successful with what she wants, but I do know that we both were more relaxed with each other, and were able to have a meaningful session. I am out of the corner for now. I need to remember it is my anxiety that always gets me there.
For more information on MI training and Cathy Cole visit http://www.cathycoletraining.com
Additional Educational/Coaching Offerings: Use of the MITI (Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code) for feedback on taped interviews.
Onsite workshops: one to three day training in MI for agencies or educational consortiums
Onsite consultation: Preparing your agency for MI. Combining this with specific training for agency staff increases the effectiveness of implementing MI.
Additional Advanced MI training: 8 one hour teleclasses for active case supervision and focus on MI skills or on site training for staff groups already trained in MI; feedback on tapes using the MITI.
MI Coaching: assessment of a taped client session with phone supervisory consultation; feedback on tapes using the MITI.
For information on any of these MI trainings, send email to cathy@cathycoletraining.com
Cathy Cole, MSSW, LCSW is an educator and clinician.
She received her Masters of Science in Social Work from
the University of Tennessee and has maintained a varied clinical and
education practice throughout her career. Since her training in
Motivational Interviewing in 1995, she has provided extensive training.
For more information on Cathy visit http://www.cathycoletraining.com
To contact Cathy, use cathy@cathycoletraining.com
cathycoletraining Mission: to provide excellent education and coaching with a specific focus on the use of Motivational Interviewing for exploring and resolving the natural ambivalence for change. Training in the use of Motivational Interviewing is offered on site or via teleconference. Contact Cathy at cathy@cathycoletraining.com for more information or visit http://www.cathycoletraining.com
For more information on Motivational Interviewing, visit the web site http://www.motivationalinterview.org
(919) 967-9653 — 
cathy@cathycoletraining.com© 2009 Cathy Cole Training, Inc.