6 Hours / 6 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Introduction to Motivational Interviewing is presented by Matthew Rensi, PhD, LPCC in partnership with Community Solutions.

In this program, participants learn about the Motivational Interviewing approach to helping people change and see the crucial importance of matching interventions to individuals’ stages of change in order to improve the likelihood of success. In addition to examining the principles of MI, participants learn and practice specific skills and techniques that support the primary goals of MI, which include establishing rapport, eliciting change talk, and establishing commitment language. 

This program would be focused on new professionals or mid-career professionals who are looking to further develop their skills in Motivational Interviewing. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe 4 processes (tasks) of Motivational Interviewing
  • 2 Describe how clients consider their own reasons for change
  • 3 Describe how clients consider their own reasons for change
  • 4 Demonstrate basic Motivational Interviewing skills to help clients resolve ambivalence in favor of change
  • 5 Describe how Motivational Interviewing is used in different practice settings
  • 6 Describe the use of OARS skills to facilitate client engagement and goal setting

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health professionals who want to deepen their expertise in Motivational Interviewing (MI) and enhance their ability to support clients through behavior change. It is ideal for clinicians working in general mental health, substance use, behavioral health, or counseling settings who are seeking practical, evidence-based skills to improve client outcomes.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Generalist Clinicians
    • Counselors
    • Therapists
    • Substance Use Counselors
    • Behavioral Health Specialists

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of familiarity with Motivational Interviewing (MI).

    • Beginner: Participants are new to Motivational Interviewing and seek foundational knowledge of MI principles, the stages of change, and basic skills such as OARS to support client engagement.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some prior exposure to MI and aim to deepen their understanding of the four processes of MI, enhance their ability to elicit and reinforce change talk, and apply MI strategies across diverse practice settings.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners apply MI in client-centered behavioral health environments within healthcare and community organizations, delivering individual and group services and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. Work may be in-person or virtual, serving diverse populations while aligning interventions with clients’ readiness to change to improve engagement and outcomes.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Community mental health clinics
    • Outpatient counseling centers
    • Substance use treatment programs (OP/IOP/MAT)
    • Hospital behavioral health units and EDs
    • Integrated primary care and FQHCs
    • School and college counseling centers
    • Residential treatment facilities
    • Telehealth platforms and EAPs
    • Criminal justice/probation treatment settings
    • Crisis hotlines and mobile crisis teams

Presented By

Matthew T Rensi, Ph. D., LPCC Independent Researcher

Matthew T Rensi, Ph. D., LPCC. is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who also holds a Ph. D. in counselor education and supervision. He has extensive experience providing therapy to people struggling with psychosis, homelessness, various mental health issues and the legal system. In addition to this, he provides trainings throughout Santa Clara County on various aspects of mental health treatment including assessment, individual therapy, and safety/crisis situations. Matt has also conducted research on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders using linguistic analysis.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Matthew T Rensi, Ph. D., LPCC

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Introduction & Grounding Activity

  • Introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI)

  • Task and Spirit of MI

  • Stages of Change

  • Change Talk

  • Learning Task

  • Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflections, and Summaries (OARS)

We are proud to partner with

Community Solutions

Community Solutions

Since it was founded as a teen drop-in center in 1972, Community Solutions has grown in both depth and breadth of services in response to the growing and changing needs of our community.

Today we provide a comprehensive spectrum of prevention, intervention, treatment, and residential services to the communities of Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. We provide services and support to help children, families, and individuals overcome the challenges posed by mental health issues, substance abuse, trauma, severe family dysfunction, sexual and domestic violence, and human trafficking.

Our Mission

Our mission is to create opportunities for positive change by promoting and supporting the full potential of individuals, the strengths of families, and the well-being of our community. The services we provide include:

-Wellness and recovery-based behavioral health services

-Empowerment-based domestic violence and sexual assault services

-Strength-based prevention and intervention services


Learn More About Our Partner

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.