Ambivalence to Action: Comprehensive Motivational Interviewing Tools for Addiction

Date course created: June 2025

Substance abuse and addiction are notoriously very difficult to treat – so much so that relapse is baked into the healing journey for nearly every client. At the core of this phenomenon is the elevated level of resistance to change that addiction commonly brings to the healing equation with such intense force. Clients must buy into the need for change. They must believe that 1.) they need treatment and 2.) they are capable of success in treatment. Ultimately, successful treatment requires lasting behavior change, and lasting behavior change requires commitment to a proven process. That proven process, as it turns out, sits inside the motivational interviewing style of therapy.

If you have been struggling to know how to engage with clients that are resistant to treatment, present with a lot of ambivalence and seem to get caught in persistent lacking motivation for change, then you are not alone! Come learn the evidence-based skills and practice of motivational interviewing (MI). These strategies can be applied to an array of different client populations and are a great set of skills to add to your overall clinical toolset! You will learn how to engage clients in change and increase their motivation through the use of empathy and motivational interviewing attitudes and language.

**This is a 4.5-CE noninteractive, self-paced online video course delivered in home study format via an industry-standard online learning platform**

Agenda:

00:00 – 00:38: Foundations of Change and Ambivalence, Critique of Confrontational Methods
00:38 – 01:14: Debunking Addiction Myths, Exploring and Influencing Motivation, Personal Goal Reflection
01:14 – 01:53: Overview of Stages of Change, Role of Motivational Interviewing (MI), Reframing Resistance
01:53 – 02:43: Moving into Maintenance, Addressing Barriers and Ambivalence, Using Empathy and Reflection
02:43 – 03:45: Core MI Techniques, Strategies to Navigate Resistance, Introduction to OARS
03:45 – 04:14: Managing Early Session Challenges, EARS Technique for Client Engagement
04:14 – 04:39: Strengthening Commitment, Applying Decisional Balance, Handling Pitfalls, Accountability

Objectives:

This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:

The target audience for this course includes licensed psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, and other licensed clinical mental health professionals.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructor(s): Megan Salar, MSW, ACADC

Material Author(s): Megan Salar, MSW, ACADC

Megan Salar, MSW, ACADC, is an EMDR Clinician, Trainer and Author who earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Northwest Nazarene University in 2011. She has been extensively trained on the use of EMDR and other trauma-based interventions, and she specializes in the areas of trauma, abuse, attachment and substance abuse. Megan has trained thousands of clinicians across the U.S. and internationally to help them get the most out of EMDR, trauma and addiction treatment skills and evidence-informed best practices. Megan is the author of “EMDR Workbook for Trauma and PTSD: Skills to Manage Triggers, Move Beyond Traumatic Memories, and Take Back Your Life”, released by New Harbinger Publications in May of 2023. She is set to release “EMDR for Dummies” with Wiley Publishing in May of 2024. Megan previously owned/operated an intensive outpatient treatment center that was voted best in practice in 2019. She currently owns and operates her own Counseling, Consulting, and Training Business and is passionate about genuinely changing the landscape of mental health and trauma treatment through an authentic hands-on perspective that is uniquely her own.

For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.

Course Materials & Delivery Method:

• Course Materials – The course is composed of a recorded presentation and written materials (e.g. a slide deck and/or other worksheets, manuals, or handouts as provided by the instructor). The slide deck and any additional worksheets or handouts (as provided by the instructor) are made available inside the Lesson module after a course is purchased.
• Delivery Method – This course is a recorded asynchronous, self-paced webinar training, and there is no access time limit or due date to complete it once enrolled. The enrolled learner will stream the recorded presentation and view the materials from their internet connected device via an industry-standard online learning platform.

CE Approvals:

Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not quality for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 23, 2024 – July 23, 2025. Social workers completing this course receive 4.5 clinical continuing education credits.

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