Core Program
The complete MI learning path for helping professionals. The Core Program brings together Levels 1, 2, and 3 of our MI Practitioner Path into one cohesive, practice-forward experience for people who want to use motivational interviewing more skillfully in their own work.
This is not a one-off workshop and not a “learn MI in a weekend” promise. It is a structured path for building real confidence over time through live teaching, demonstrations, practice, reflection, feedback, and continued community support.
Quick Facts:
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3 MI courses: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3
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54 Hours of live instruction
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Includes 5 private coaching sessions
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Weekly MI Practice
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3-month program
Why the Core Program?
Many helping professionals care deeply, ask good questions, and still leave important conversations feeling stuck, overly directive, or unsure what actually helped. The Core Program is designed for that gap: the space between caring about people and knowing how to guide change conversations in a way that is skillful, collaborative, and grounded in MI spirit.
MI is not just a set of techniques. It is a way of being with people and a learnable set of communication practices that become stronger through observation, rehearsal, feedback, and reflection over time. The Core Program is built around that reality.
Many helping professionals say that when learning MI, they feel the need to "unlearn" much of what they have been taught over the years. This often stems from organizational norms, expected outcomes, or various frameworks that influence their perception of "success." Traditionally, success means that clients, patients, students, or members comply with the professional's expectations. However, by understanding and applying MI in your practice, you can unlock and inspire the motivation for genuine, sustainable change.
This program emphasizes fidelity to the MI approach, ensuring that you can confidently engage with anyone in your practice and support them in their journey of change.
Who this is for
The Core Program is for helping professionals whose work regularly involves stress, stuckness, ambivalence, motivation, behavior change, or difficult follow-through conversations.
This program is for helping professionals such as:
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Coaches, mentors, and trainers.
Health and wellness professionals.
Therapists, case managers, peer supporters, and social service providers.
Managers, supervisors, leaders, and HR or people-operations professionals.
Educators, faculty, advisors, and student-support staff.
Other people-centered professionals who want more effective, human conversations around change.
This program is especially well-suited for people who want to practice MI in their everyday roles. If the main goal is to become an MI leader or facilitator for others, the Advanced Program or Facilitator Training pathway may be the better fit.
Outcomes of the
Core Program
By the end of the Core Program, participants leave with more than exposure to MI concepts. They leave with a fuller map of MI, more intentional conversational habits, and a practical way to keep developing after the program ends.
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​Participants can expect to leave better able to:
Conduct fuller MI conversations from engaging through planning.
Use scaling questions, readiness rulers, and Ask-Offer-Ask in MI-consistent ways.
Hear and respond more skillfully to DARN-CAT, sustain talk, discord, and relapse.
More confidence evoking change talk on purpose and responding to sustain talk without argument or over-correction.
Stronger skill in guiding a conversation toward a meaningful, collaborative focus.
Continue developing through review of recordings, peer observation, MINT trainer feedback, and community practice.
What’s included
The Core Program includes the full three-level MI Practitioner Path. Each level builds on the last, so participants can move from foundational awareness to fuller, more intentional MI conversations in real-world settings.
Level 1 Course
Everyday MI Foundations
Level 1 is the entry point. Participants build a clear, accessible foundation in MI as both a way of being with people and a set of usable communication skills for everyday conversations, both inside and outside your workplace.
What Level 1 Covers:
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Why MI matters and how it differs from fixing, persuading, or rushing to solutions.
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MI spirit and the four-process map.
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OARS as everyday communication skills.
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Ambivalence, righting reflex, change talk, and sustain talk at a foundational level.
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Stages of Change as a readiness lens for everyday conversations.
Level 1 Outcomes:
Participants leave with a practical entry point into MI, a more compassionate understanding of change conversations, and a set of high-impact habits they can begin using right away.
Level 2 Course
Guiding with Intention
Level 2 is where learners move from generally MI-flavored conversations toward more deliberate and intentional use of MI around meaningful change targets.
What Level 2 Covers:
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Hearing DARN-CAT in real time.
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Evoking change talk on purpose through evocative questions, values, looking back, looking forward, and selective reflections.
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Distinguishing sustain talk from discord and responding more strategically.
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Sharpening OARS for focus and guidance rather than using them in a scattered way.
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Recognizing when a conversation is ready for early planning.
Level 2 Outcomes:
Participants leave better able to hear and strengthen motivation, guide conversations collaboratively, and respond to stuck or tense moments without slipping into persuasion or control. Up to this point, one could conduct meaningful and impactful MI conversations.
Level 3 Course
Full MI Conversations
Level 3 is the most integrative part of the Core Program. It helps participants bring MI spirit, strategy, and judgment together in fuller, end-to-end conversations.
What Level 3 Covers:
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Conducting fuller conversations that move flexibly through engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning.
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Using scaling questions and readiness rulers to evoke motivation.
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Sharing information in MI-consistent ways through Ask-Offer-Ask.
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Stage-matching, planning, and consolidating commitment without taking over.
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Responding to setbacks, discouragement, and relapse by backing up appropriately and re-engaging around what matters.
Level 3 Outcomes:
Participants leave with a more integrated and flexible use of MI and a stronger bridge into ongoing practice development, coaching, or fidelity-informed learning. By the end of this level, practitioners will have the tools to conduct full MI conversations.
Our approach to training
The Core Program is built on a simple premise: MI is learned through practice and feedback over time, not through content delivery alone.
In most cases, the data shows that people tend to overestimate their skill level in motivational interviewing. This is precisely why we've built an experiential program that offers more than just the training sessions and freebie handouts. The emphasis is on actually doing and implementing MI in real-time with plenty of practice afterward.
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Immersion
The full Level 1–3 arc, coaching, and community, all in one path.
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Feedback
Not just “that sounded good,” but structured coaching that helps them hear what is actually happening in their MI.
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Proven Learning & Development
Learning activities and lessons designed for optimal adult learning.
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Further Refinement
Real practice with helping professionals from all over the world in our weekly MI Practice community. The key to sharpening your skills is practice, instant feedback, and implementation.
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Enroll Now
To enroll in the Core Program, click "Enroll Now". You'll be directed to a registration page where you'll choose your desired payment option and start date. We offer this program once every 3 to 4 months, and we limit our class sizes. If you're unable to join us on our upcoming start date, we encourage you to reserve a spot for a future date, as seats may sell out.
Pay in Full
$1,995.00
Save over $450.00 compared to
enrolling in everything separately
Save $200.00 compared to the payment plan
Included in the Program
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3 MI courses: Level 1, Level 2, & Level 3
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18 live Zoom classes
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54 live hours total
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5 private coaching sessions
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3-month program
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Lifetime access to Weekly MI Practice
Payment Plan
$731.50
3 monthly payments
Save over $250.00 compared to
enrolling in everything separately
Included in the Program
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3 MI courses: Level 1, Level 2, & Level 3
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18 live Zoom classes
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54 live hours total
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5 private coaching sessions
-
3-month program
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Lifetime access to Weekly MI Practice
Start Dates
Sept. 14th, 2026
Jan. 7th, 2027
More TBA
Courses within the Core Program meet 6 times over 2 weeks (per course). A typical course schedule looks like:
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Week 1: Mon, Tue, & Wed: 12 pm EST/9 am PST - 3 hours
Week 2: Mon, Tue, & Wed: 12 pm EST/9 am PST - 3 hours
We offer group discounts for groups of 3 or more. To inquire about group discounts, please email us at info@evokingchangeinstitute.com, and we'll provide the information you need to register. We ask that each participant enroll separately.