Motivational Interviewing
Creating conditions for self-determination and health
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a person-centered counseling method that helps people take action in line with their own goals and values to improve their health and wellbeing. Initially developed in the context of treating harms related to drug use — and as an antidote to confrontational, shaming models of addiction treatment — MI has since been applied to help people manage a wide range of health and mental health challenges. It has been evaluated in more than 200 clinical trials.
The Academy teaches MI as one method to ensure that people who seek help receive dignifying and effective care.
Learn more:
About MI
MI Learning Programs at the Academy
The Academy’s MI Team
Motivational Interviewing Learning Programs at the Academy
APPROACH
The Academy’s MI programs help learners embody MI principles and apply MI counseling skills strategically and flexibly in real world settings. Unique in NYC, these comprehensive, free MI courses combine experiential learning; skills practice; supportive and accurate coaching feedback; coding of recorded work samples; peer learning; and, structured implementation support.
The Academy has offered MI courses for individual practitioners and teams who want to integrate MI into their work.
Past courses
- Using MI to Have Conversations About the COVID-19 Vaccine (2 hours)
- Introduction to the Spirit and Practice of MI (3.5 hours)
- MI Foundations (6 weeks)
- MI Supervision and Coaching (5 weeks)
- MI Train the Trainer (3 days)
- MI Implementation for Teams (6 months)
CURRENT PROJECTS
In 2024–2025, the Academy is revising its MI courses to:
- Integrate lessons learned from the first three years of implementation
- Explore how MI can best be applied to support wellbeing in the context of racial harms and other forms of violence and discrimination that NYC non-profit care providers routinely encounter and address
- Further tailor courses to particular strengths and needs in these implementation settings
- Align with relevant advances in MI research, adult learning, and implementation science, along with the Fourth Edition of Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change and Grow
Motivational Interviewing Team
The Academy’s MI team are experienced MI practitioners, trainers, supervisors, researchers, and curriculum developers. They are committed to high quality MI practice and teaching and their own continued learning, including as members of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). They represent diverse backgrounds and disciplines, having practiced and taught MI in harm reduction; supportive housing; hospital and community health settings; youth services, including with those experiencing homelessness or impacted by criminal-legal and foster care systems; affirming mental health care for people of color and LGBTQ+ people; HIV prevention and care; and more. Most team members have worked in or with NYC community-based organizations.
