Join us for this 4-hour online workshop facilitated by Monica Lord.
This workshop introduces participants to Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a practical, evidence-informed approach for supporting people considering behaviour change. MI is a collaborative style of communication that supports people to explore ambivalence and resistance to change, strengthen motivation, and move toward change in ways that respect autonomy, dignity, and lived experience.
In community service settings, workers often engage with people who are navigating trauma, systemic barriers, risk behaviours, service fatigue, and competing priorities. Motivational Interviewing offers a respectful alternative to directive or compliance-focused approaches, helping practitioners build engagement, reduce resistance, and support change without coercion or judgement.
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
• Understand what Motivational Interviewing is and how it differs from directive or problem-focused approaches
• Be able to identify and apply the core principles and skills of MI
• Recognise stages of change and respond appropriately to ambivalence and resistance
• Apply MI-consistent strategies alongside other practical tools used in frontline practice
• Feel more confident engaging clients in respectful, collaborative conversations that support sustainable change
Pricing: $100 per session for members and $120 per session for non-members.
Spaces are limited, so if you are unable to attend, please email Community Industry Group @ admin@cigroup.org.au or call us on (02) 4256 4333 as soon as possible. This training comes with a non-attendance guarantee of $50.00.
About the Facilitator
Monica Lord is a lecturer in social work at Griffith University. With 17 years clinical experience across mental health, alcohol and other drugs, and complex community settings, and 10 years private practice experience as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Monica has worked extensively with people experiencing multiple and intersecting psychosocial challenges, with particular interests in dysregulated childhood behaviours, mental health, complex trauma, hoarding, and squalor.
Monica is currently completing a PhD, with research focused on inclusion in early childhood education and care. Her research work is grounded in anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and co-designed frameworks, with a strong emphasis on how systems, environments, and service responses shape engagement and change.
Monica has a strong reputation for cutting through complexity, translating research into practice by blending current evidence with extensive frontline experience. Her workshops are engaging, straight-talking, and designed to support practitioners working in demanding, high-pressure environments.