Description
Even when mentees set goals for positive change, they may feel uncertain or ambivalent about what change truly means for them. This evidence-based training introduces mentors to Motivational Interviewing (MI)—a widely used, research-supported approach to behavior change.
Through engaging lectures, brief exercises, and demonstration videos, mentors will learn how to:
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Ask open-ended questions that spark reflection and dialogue
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Listen actively to better understand mentees’ perspectives
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Elicit and explore mentees’ own reasons for change
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Help mentees clarify values, identify growth areas, and develop action plans
By practicing these techniques, mentors will be better equipped to support mentees in overcoming ambivalence, strengthening motivation, and taking meaningful steps toward their goals.
Developed by experts at the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring, this course is grounded in decades of MI research and based on the leading practitioner handbook in the field. It is designed as both a mentor training and a valuable component of broader mentoring program training, giving mentors practical, evidence-based strategies for fostering growth and resilience.
Evidence Base:
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Rosengren, D. (2018). Building Motivational Interviewing Skill: A Practitioner Workbook. New York: Guilford Press.
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Rollnick, S., & Miller, W. (1995). What is Motivational Interviewing? Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23(4), 325–334.
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Hart, M. J., McQuillin, S. D., Iachini, A. et al. (2023). Expanding School-Based Motivational Interviewing Through Delivery by Paraprofessional Providers: A Preliminary Scoping Review. School Mental Health, 15, 673–691.
