Eleventh International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

LIVE Zoom Session 2 September 2021 8AM CST (Meeting ID: 947 4120 5943 Passcode: 542837) - Many costs to treat chronic conditions are attributable to modifiable lifestyle behaviors. Health professionals work every day to support clients in developing meaningful wellness goals. Yet some clients are less successful despite their best intentions. In this workshop, participants will learn motivational interviewing (MI) skills to coach clients to enact effective lifestyle changes. MI has shown to be effective in increasing clients’ adoption of healthy lifestyle changes. In MI, with the practitioners’ support, the client identifies their lifestyle issues and develops a personal solution to instituting health-promoting activities into daily repertoires. This Rogerian approach focuses on the client as the author and actor of lifestyle change; the practitioners belief in this tenet has been shown as key to effective motivational interviewing. The workshop will begin with an overview of current evidence supporting MI. Next, participants will engage in exercises/strategies that will enhance their capacity to elicit client’s authentic goals and support clients’ lifestyle change. Participants will use these skills with each other to develop their own wellness goals. Participants will practice strategically employing several MI approaches (open-ended questions, and reflective listening). As part of the workshop exercises, participants will also reflect and give peer feedback to each other using a standardized tool and MI approach in order to enhance skill development. This workshop will train participants in skills that can be used in a range of clinical settings to promote wellness and goal achievement.