Explain the basic concepts of motivational interviewing. These include self-efficacy, self-esteem, developing discrepancy, expressing empathy, avoiding arguments, and dealing with resistance.
Teach the skills needed for motivational interviewing, such as reflective listening, negotiation strategies and reinforcement techniques, and rolling with resistance.
Make time for practice. Give the students opportunity to practice motivational interviewing techniques by role playing and working in groups to review case studies. Use student experiences. Be sure to encourage students to share their experiences and use those stories as opportunities for role modeling to reinforce key concepts.
Respect your audience's expertise. If you are conducting an onsite consultation, use the setting as an opportunity to allow students to build on or enhance their skills. Plan to spend one day shadowing the students as they interact with clients. Encourage them to share their own experiences, and learn how to use motivational interviewing in familiar and new situations.
Do a pre-test and post-test. Give students a pre-test to determine their knowledge base. After the seminar, workshop or onsite consultation, give students a post-test to demonstrate what they have learned and to show them how they have increased their skill level.