Classes & certificates

This highly interactive introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI) provides the 'what' and 'why' behind this highly sought, evidence-based skill for helping people change and grow. In this short course, you will also build a solid foundation for understanding the 'how' of MI, practice the fundamentals, and create a plan to continue your MI skills development. MI is learned over time, with ongoing instruction, practice and feedback. As such, this session is strongly recommended as a precursor to the Building Competency in MI Certificate and/or Advancing MI Skills courses also offered by UW–Madison Division of Continuing Studies.

This 20-hour course will be a mix of live online session(s) using the Zoom platform and self-directed learning in the Canvas online course site. The course is designed for learners who have intermediate knowledge and skills needed for the practice of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and want to strengthen their existing skillset. Participate in four, 3-hour, live online, instructor-led sessions, including lecture, discussion and small group practice sessions. Enhance your learning with 8-hours of required self-study coursework. Improve your MI practice through peer (one session) and instructor (two sessions) feedback from simulated client interviews. As a learner of this course, you are required to purchase a copy of Building Motivational Interviewing Skills: A Practitioner Workbook, Second Edition by David B. Rosengren (2017) by the start of the class. This required textbook is sold by many online vendors. Please look for ISBN number 9781462532063. It is generally available at Guildford Press or Amazon. How You'll Learn This course is delivered entirely online, with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous elements. Your online Canvas course site will open two weeks before the first live online skills-building workshop. Meet via Zoom for four live, online skills-building workshops (see schedule to the right).

This 30-hour online group-paced (12 hours of live skills-building workshops and 18 hours of self-paced study) course is for participants wanting to learn or relearn the knowledge and skills necessary to reach proficiency in the use of Motivational interviewing (MI). MI is a well-established, evidence-based communication practice for addressing the behavioral change of clinical problems across multiple settings and systems.

Join us on the beautiful University of Wisconsin Madison campus to learn more about this evidence-based practice, hone your current skills and network with other MI practitioners and trainers from across the Midwest. Various registration rates available.