Increasing Counselor Effectiveness and Outcomes Using Principles of Motivational Interviewing and Positive Psychology

Location: Flores 6-7 Session Description: In this session, attendees will learn about proven Positive Psychology and Motivational Interviewing interventions and strategies that can be utilized to improve client success, regardless of personal knowledge or experience. Attendees will learn how Motivational Interviewing and Positive Psychology can complement client resources to improve attendance, participation, engagement and outcomes. Key to successful outcomes in counseling are identifying, exploring, and amplifying ambivalence, dancing with discord, and underscoring client strengths. The use of Motivational Interviewing can improve client attendance, participation, and outcomes. Based on the latest research and information from the third edition of Motivational Interviewing (MI), Helping People Change, by Rollnick and Miller, and various texts in Positive Psychology (PP), this session explores opportunities to use both MI and PP in counseling. Using protective factors and resiliency, counselors have a unique opportunity to highlight client strengths, efforts, gratitude and achievements to help create and foster a growth mindset that paves the way for client success and leans on therapeutic alliance to embrace challenges and setbacks. Attendees will learn up-to-date, evidenced-based interventions and strategies from both MI and PP that can be put into practice immediately.