CCEU Webinar: Motivational Interviewing and Coaching: Addressing Ambivalence through an Integrated Approach

Change is incredibly difficult!  And even when voluntarily seeking coaching, clients can struggle with ambivalence towards change. Motivational Interviewing is a style of communication that utilizes a compassionate, collaborative, accepting environment “…designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal….” (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). A Motivational Interviewing approach supports clients’ discovery of their internal motivation for change in order to identify, and resolve the ambivalence.

Integrating MI allows coaches to be even more intentional with clients when creating awareness and defining goals. This presentation will provide a brief history and introduction to the foundational elements of Motivational Interviewing. Additionally, it will demonstrate how integrating MI with coaching can enhance coaching competencies such as creating awareness, designing actions, goal setting, and client accountability, thereby helping the client achieve their goals. 

1 Core Competency CCEU will be awarded for attending the webinar.

  Karen Hochheiser, M.S., PLPC, PCC

Karen is a therapist, coach, and higher education professional. She began her career in college student wellness; using a Motivational Interviewing (MI) approach to support positive health behavior changes in students. In her role as a Health Educator, she began to understand the power of utilizing a strengths-based, collaborative approach to student development.

Karen transitioned from Health Educator to her internal coaching role at Tulane University, which she held from 2013-2018. She discovered that Motivational Interviewing was an effective approach for conversations about change across various settings and professional roles. In addition to her role as coach for undergraduate students, she developed and led staff Motivational Interviewing trainings to support a culture of effective communication across campus.  In May 2019, she graduated with a Master’s in Counseling from Loyola University New Orleans and currently serves as Counselor and Coordinator of Outreach for University of New Orleans Counseling Services.