Motivational Interviewing and Attending to the Language of Change in Health Education

Speakers: Amanda Gabarda, EdD, MPH, NBC-HWC and Renee Greenwald, MS, NBC-HWC

Motivational Interviewing is a guiding style of communication that facilitates the natural process of change. It’s designed to empower individuals through their own motivation and capacity for change. These three-part, 30-minute on-demand sessions will overview the importance of attending to the language of change, three types of client talk discord, sustain talk, and change talk), and how health educators can respond and evoke strategically to motivate and empower change in health education settings.

A Taste of Motivational Interviewing in Health Education

Health behavior change can be difficult, and as public health professionals, we are often called upon to support individuals across a variety of settings in improving their health and wellbeing. Motivational interviewing is a collaborative conversation style that promotes and strengthens an individual’s own commitment to change. It is used across a variety of settings to support engagement, activation, and positive health behavior change. This session will overview the basics of Motivational Interviewing in health education and the benefits of using it.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recall the importance of health behavior change in public health (5.1.1)
2. Describe Motivational Interviewing and its use in health education (6.3.1)
3. Identify core concepts and principles of Motivational Interviewing as applied to health education settings (6.5.4)

Motivational Interviewing and Attending to the Language of Change in Health Education

Motivational Interviewing is a guiding style of communication that facilitates the natural process of change. It’s designed to empower individuals through their own motivation and capacity for change. This session will overview the importance of attending to the language of change, three types of client talk (discord, sustain talk, and change talk), and how health educators can respond and evoke strategically to motivate and empower change in health education settings.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the best case and worst-case scenario in health education (6.3.1)
2. Recall types of client talk in health behavior change conversations (6.3.3)
3. Identify change talk and how it is supportive in health education (demonstration) (8.1.5)

Motivational Interviewing in Practice: A Case Study of Vaccine Hesitancy in Health Education

There is strong evidence and support for the use of Motivational Interviewing across a wide range of challenging behaviors, including vaccine hesitancy. In this session we will focus on how MI principles and strategies can be leveraged to address vaccine hesitancy. The session will review how health educators can use Motivational Interviewing in conversations about vaccines and will include demonstration of core skills in practice.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe vaccine hesitancy and the role health educators play in public health settings (6.2.1)
2. Identify core Motivational Interviewing Concepts that can be applied to vaccine hesitancy (6.3.1)
3. Summarize how Motivational Interviewing can support health educators in conversations about vaccines (6.2.3)