Series Overview
Motivational Interviewing: “What Works” is a four-module series exploring eight qualities of effective helpers: evocation, empathy, unconditional positive regard, genuineness, acceptance, focus, hope and collaborative/autonomy-supportive information exchange. These eight qualities help describe “what works” in any type of helping conversation.
Through interactive exercises across the four modules, participants have opportunities to learn about and practice applying each quality, explore behaviors that can interfere with effective helping and identify ways to shift their approach in both easy and challenging conversations. Follow-up activities will be suggested to support continued development through communities of practice or individual study.
Module 2: Empathy, Unconditional Positive Regard, and Genuineness
This module explores three of the eight qualities — empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness — as well as their opposites, to identify underlying impulses for ineffective behaviors and ways to shift toward expressing effective qualities.
Learning Objectives
After attending this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify one option for increasing empathy in their work.
- Identify one option for increasing unconditional positive regard in their work.
- Identify one option for increasing genuineness in their work.
How This Series Helps Transform CalWORKs
Motivational interviewing aims to strengthen both relational and technical skills to improve outcomes. Developing these eight qualities can help professionals add value to helping conversations and build strong alliances with the people they serve at every stage of service delivery, from outreach, welcoming and appraisal through case management and resource referral.