Guiding with Intention
MI Level 2
Level 2 is where learners move from general MI-flavored conversations to a more intentional use of motivational interviewing in real-change conversations. This course helps participants hear change talk more clearly, draw it out more purposefully, respond to sustain talk and discord without arguing, and guide conversations toward a meaningful focus while staying collaborative.
The emphasis here is not on doing MI perfectly. It is on becoming more thoughtful about how to hear motivation, respond to client language, and guide the conversation without slipping into fixing, persuading, or controlling.
Quick Facts:
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6 live Zoom classes, 3 hours each
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18 total instructional hours
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Best for people with Level 1 or similar MI foundations
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Weekly MI Practice
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Built for helping professionals across sectors
Skills that make real conversations feel different
Level 2 is the point in the MI Practitioner series where learners begin using MI more deliberately. Rather than simply sounding MI-consistent, learners begin to work with more intention around real change targets, real ambivalence, and real moments of stuckness.â
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Recognize DARN-CAT in real time, including the difference between early change talk and stronger movement toward change.
Name and use the four processes of MI: engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning.
Use practical strategies to intentionally elicit change talk, such as looking back, looking forward, exploring values and goals, querying extremes, and selective reflection.
Tell the difference between sustain talk and discord, and respond to each with more empathy, partnership, and autonomy support.
Use questions, reflections, and summaries more precisely so they deepen the conversation rather than scatter it.
Help a conversation find focus when several concerns are on the table.
Recognize when a person may be ready for early planning and use light planning moves that still leave ownership with them.
Level 2 is where evoking and guiding become more visible and more practiced, while partnership, empathy, and autonomy support remain the relational base of the work.
Who this is for
Level 2 is designed for people who already have some grounding in MI spirit, OARS, ambivalence, basic change talk and sustain talk recognition, and the four-process map. It is especially well-suited for educators, advisors, coaches, supervisors, health and wellness professionals, peer supporters, therapists, case managers, and other helpers who regularly have conversations where movement toward change matters.
This course is a strong fit for people who want to:
Move beyond “MI-flavored” conversations into more intentional MI practice
Get better at hearing and drawing out change talk
Respond more effectively when people feel stuck, resistant, or unsure
Guide conversations with more focus while still honoring autonomy
Level 2 assumes prior exposure to MI foundations, ideally through Level 1 or an equivalent introductory training. Not sure if you’re ready for Level 2? Contact us, and we'll find the right fit together.
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Whatâs included
Level 2 is designed as six live Zoom classes, three hours each, for a total of 18 instructional hours. Like Level 1, it follows a practice-forward format with short teaching segments, demonstrations, structured listening drills, breakout practice, observer feedback, and between-class micro-experiments rather than long lecture blocks.
Guiding with Intention Level 2 Course
Level 2 moves into more deliberate MI practice: hearing DARN-CAT in real time, intentionally evoking change talk, responding more skillfully to sustain talk and discord, and guiding conversations toward meaningful change without slipping into control.
Class Overview:
Class 1: MI-Flavored to Intentional MI
Learners reflect on what shifted after Level 1, notice where old habits still show up, and begin thinking about how to use MI more intentionally around a meaningful focus.
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Class 2: Hearing DARN-CAT in Real Time
Participants train their ears to hear different kinds of change talk more accurately in both clean examples and more realistic mixed conversations.
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Class 3: Evoking Change Talk on Purpose
Participants practice eliciting change talk without becoming persuasive or controlling, and learn how to strengthen it through selective reflections and summaries.
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Class 4: Responding to Sustain Talk and Discord
Participants learn to distinguish between sustain talk and discord, and practice strategic responses that reduce tension and keep the relationship strong.
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Class 5: Sharpening OARS for Guiding and Focusing
Participants use OARS with more precision and practice, helping conversations stay focused when several possible concerns are present.
Class 6: Early Planning and Integration
Participants learn to recognize when a conversation is ready for planning, practice light planning moves, and bring Level 2 skills together in fuller conversations.
Our approach to training
This course is built on the idea that MI grows through observation, rehearsal, feedback, and reflection over time. That means participants are not just learning concepts; they are practicing how to listen differently, respond differently, and guide conversations differently in ways that transfer back into their real roles.
Level 2 includes six live Zoom sessions and works best when learners can attend consistently and practice between classes. Because this is a skill-development course, participants get the most from it when they come ready to engage, experiment, and reflect rather than perform.
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Immersion
Live demonstrations and side-by-side contrasts between directive and MI-flavored helping styles
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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
Level 2 helps helping professionals move from general MI awareness into more intentional, skillful, and focused change conversations. It is a practical next step for people who want to hear motivation more clearly, respond more effectively, and guide conversations without pushing.
To enroll in the Guiding with Intention Level 2 course, click "Enroll Now". You'll be directed to a registration page with upcoming start dates. We offer this course 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 spots may sell out.
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Save by bundling all three MI Practitioner course levels in our Core or Advanced Programs
Pay in Full
$549.00
Included in the Program
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Full Level 2 course
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6 live Zoom classes
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18 live hours total
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Lifetime access to Weekly MI Practice
Start Dates
Oct. 5th, 2026
Feb. 1st, 2027
More TBA
Guiding with Intention: Level 2 meets 6 times over 2 weeks. 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