MI Foundations - Level 1
A practical, experiential introduction to Motivational Interviewing for helping professionals who want better everyday conversations at work, at home, and anywhere change or stuckness shows up.
Level 1 is the starting point in the MI Practitioner learning arc. It introduces Motivational Interviewing as both a way of being with people and a usable set of communication skills for real-life conversations, with a strong emphasis on practice, reflection, and immediate application rather than lecture alone.
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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No prior MI experience required
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Weekly MI Practice
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Built for helping professionals across sectors
The foundations of MI,
taught for real life
Level 1 helps participants build a clear map of motivational interviewing without overwhelming them with technical depth too early. The aim is not mastery in six classes, but meaningful progress in how participants listen, respond, and guide everyday conversations.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Describe MI as a collaborative conversation style that strengthens a person’s own motivation and commitment to change.
Name and use the four processes of MI: engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning.
Describe MI spirit in accessible terms, including partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation or empowerment.
Use OARS more intentionally in everyday conversations, especially open questions and reflections.
Recognize and explain ambivalence in simple, human language and recognize how the righting reflex can make it worse.
Hear the difference between basic change talk and sustain talk in simple examples.
Use a simple stages-of-change lens to better match their client's responses to readiness.
Notice and begin softening their own habits of fixing, persuading, or rushing to solutions.
Level 1 is about awareness, stance, and everyday skill-building. It gives learners a strong relational and practical foundation before Level 2 becomes more intentional and strategic.
Who this is for
Level 1 is designed for helping professionals who regularly find themselves in conversations shaped by stress, uncertainty, change, resistance, or stuckness. It is especially well-suited for people who are new to MI and want a grounded, accessible entry point before moving into more advanced work around evoking change talk, responding to sustain talk, and planning.
This program is for helping professionals such as:
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.
Not sure whether Level 1 is the right starting point? Contact us to learn more.
What’s included
The course unfolds across six live Zoom classes and follows an MI-consistent learning arc: experience, reflect, name, practice, and apply. Each class includes short teaching segments, demonstrations, breakout-room work, real-play or triad practice, a structured debrief, and reflection, so participants learn by doing.
MI Foundations Level 1 Course
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.
Class Overview:
Class 1: Why MI, Why Now, and MI Spirit
Experience the difference between fixing and MI, learn the four-process map, explore favorite-helper qualities, and begin noticing the righting reflex.
Class 2: OARS as Everyday Skills
Practice open questions, reflections, affirmations, and summaries as real-world tools rather than abstract jargon.
Class 3: Ambivalence and Change/Sustain Talk
Normalize ambivalence, feel why pushing backfires, and begin hearing the difference between language for change and language for staying the same.
Class 4: Stages of Change in Real Life
Learn a simple readiness lens and explore why action-focused responses often misfire when someone is not yet ready.
Class 5: MI-Flavored Everyday Conversations
Bring spirit, OARS, ambivalence, CT/ST, and the four processes together in low-stakes practice conversations.
Class 6: Everyday Integration and Next Steps
Reflect on what has shifted, receive strengths-based feedback, build a 30–90 day practice plan, and see how Level 2 builds from here.
Our approach to training
Level 1 is built on the view that MI is learned through observation, rehearsal, feedback, and reflection over time, not through workshop content alone. That means participants are invited into a learning atmosphere that emphasizes experimentation, partnership, and small, repeatable changes in real conversations.
Participants get the most from the course when they are ready to attend all six sessions, engage actively in discussion, breakouts, and group practice, bring real examples from their own experiences into practice, and complete light between-class reflection or micro-practice.
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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
If you want a grounded entry point into Motivational Interviewing that helps you listen differently, respond more skillfully, and navigate everyday helping conversations with more partnership and less pressure, Level 1 is the place to begin.
To enroll in the MI Foundations Level 1 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.
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 1 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
Sept. 14th, 2026
Jan. 7th, 2027
More TBA
MI Foundations: Level 1 meets 6 times over 2 weeks. A typical course schedule looks like:
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