Conversations That Inspire Change: Part 1

For Community Social Services

Helping conversations can be a powerful turning point, yet they can also feel drained when the balance between supporting others and protecting your own energy isn’t clear. This engaging one-hour session introduces Motivational Interviewing (MI), a collaborative communication style that inspires clients to explore change while allowing you to set healthy boundaries and sustain your energy.

In this session, you’ll explore the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing, the guiding mindset that fosters trust, respect, and collaboration. You’ll also dive into the essential communication skills of OARS: Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflections, and Summaries. Through practical examples, you’ll see what MI looks and sounds like in action and leave with tools you can immediately apply to navigate ambivalence and strengthen motivation for change.

This is the first in a two-part series on Motivational Interviewing, though it can also be attended as a stand-alone session.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Explain the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing and how it strengthens both client engagement and helper well-being.
• Identify the core OARS skills—Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflections, and Summaries—and describe their purpose in guiding conversations about change.
• Apply basic MI techniques to respond to ambivalence and encourage motivation for change.
• Recognize how MI skills sound and feel in practice and reflect on how they can make conversations more collaborative and energizing.

Suncha Satney is a Registered Clinical Counselor with extensive experience in mental health and workplace wellness. Drawing on her background in Community Social Services as both a frontline worker and wellness educator, she brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to supporting employee wellbeing. Suncha is passionate about equipping people with tools and strategies they can immediately use to manage stress, navigate challenges, and create healthier balance in their work and lives.