January, 2021
Dear friends and colleagues:
2020 has been a year of reckoning for many of us. We’ve been forced to shift much about how we live and work. For me, the timing has been perfect to step back and take a look at what I’m doing and where I’m going. As I end my 6th decade, it’s time to travel less for work and to turn over to younger trainers the joy of sharing MI with health professionals. It’s time to phase out my MI training career while I continue and grow in my psychotherapy practice.
It’s been quite a ride!
Twenty years ago I was asked to present a workshop for some fellow outpatient dietitians in the Philadelphia area. A colleague, Jule Anne Henstenburg, knew I had been to social work school and provided psychotherapy in my private practice as well as nutrition counseling. I manged to pull something together for that 2-hour presentation. It was wonderfully fun and the evaluations were positive. It turned out I enjoyed bringing what I had learned as a social worker to my nutrition colleagues. Soon after that I discovered motivational interviewing and quickly saw that it provided the specific collection of skills, formats and stance that dietitians need to be effective. When I realized how much evidence went into its development, I was hooked.
I began writing short articles on aspects of effective counseling for nutrition professionals and called them “Tips.” As the number of Tips increased, I collected them into workbooks. The 3 books in the series contain 122 Tips. There are also 72 additional Tips in the archives on my website.
I chose to call my live trainings the “Counseling Intensive” for several reasons. First, it did seem pretty intense for dietitians to spend 12 hours over two days in a meeting. As a therapist I am accustomed to such workshops, but dietitians do not usually encounter that type of training. I did not call it MI training at the beginning because I had not completed the Training for New Trainers conducted by the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. By the time I did join MINT, I liked the workshop title and just stuck with it. The training has become more advanced as the health professionals joining me came in with more education and skills. I pushed myself to add more practice exercises and incorporated more advanced topics.
In the last 20 years I have conducted 120 Counseling Intensives all around the US and Canada. Five of these were follow-up advanced MI workshops. Over all those years, I only needed to cancel two workshops due to inadequate registration. Of course, in 2020 I canceled 5 due to the pandemic.
It’s been fun recently to tally up all the other trainings I’ve done. I suspect I’ve missed some, but to the best of my knowledge, I’ve contracted with 14 state WIC programs and presented at the National WIC Association Conference twice. Over 70 times I’ve either presented at a conference or conducted trainings for hospitals or agencies. This includes workshops or presentations for five dietetic practice groups (DPGs.) I am also proud to have served on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (called ADA at the time) Evidence Analysis Library workgroup on nutrition counseling. One of my favorite audiences for workshops is future dietitians. I’ve done at least 20 workshops for nutrition students and dietetic interns.
In response to requests from Dietetic Internship Directors, ten years ago I ventured into recorded programs with the Step by Step Program. Over 40 DI programs are now using this resource. That program was so successful that I adapted it for WIC programs and then upgraded it again for practicing dietitians and called that version the Steps to Counseling Excellence.
In this virtual world we have now, I’ve taken my live MI trainings onto Zoom. The two-day Counseling Intensive became the Motivational Interviewing for Nutrition Therapists: Live Virtual Course. What a treat to find out that conducting it virtually works even better in some ways! It’s easy to spread it out over 6 weeks, allowing practice between. I’ve now conducted 3 courses and have 2 more scheduled before I retire this program.
Thank You!
Here is where I express my deep gratitude to some of the many colleagues who have made these two decades possible: First and most importantly, Jessica Setnick. She had begun conducting her Eating Disorder Boot Camps when I asked if I could partner with her. She took a risk on me and we partnered in so many ways to build our brands and reach more and more of you. We supported each other through the low moments, celebrated successes and brain-stormed new ideas innumerable times.
Susan Schmidt Cavanaugh has been my virtual assistant throughout. She keeps me organized and takes care of many administrative duties.
Hundreds of dietetic interns contributed vital feedback on the Step by Step Program and pushed me to improve it over and over. I can’t possibly name all the colleagues who have partnered with me to bring MI training to their city or institution. It’s been a team project from the beginning; I could not have done it alone. My gratitude also goes out to all those who attended the Counseling Intensive and suggested tweaks to make it better.
What now?
There won’t be any more monthly Counseling Tips. The archives of more recent Tips will remain on my website indefinitely. The earlier Tips in the Workbooks series will remain available in paperback as long as the current supplies last. The e-books will be available indefinitely. Order your copy of these valuable resources.
The Virtual MI Course that begins January 22 is full. The next one that begins April 9 will be the last.
My email list will remain active for now. You will hear about new MI training resources as I become aware of them. I will also use it to let folks know about training opportunities in the IFS model.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
In 2013, I discovered the IFS model. It has transformed my life and re-energized my psychotherapy practice. The IFS paradigm guides clients to more fully understand and respect their “troublesome” behaviors and thoughts leaving room for healing and permanent change. The model is compatible with the spirt of MI and is a good fit for clinicians who wish to go beyond a behavioral lens. Interested in learning more? Check out the IFS Institute. In the coming months, I will be offering one-day workshops, “Introduction to IFS for Nutrition Professionals.” My co-presenter, Diana Dugan Richards, RDN, LDN, and I are both Certified in IFS. We’ve offered this training around the country and have now adapted it for a virtual format. Details here.
Grateful? Pay it Forward
Hundreds of times I have heard from readers of my Tips and users of my programs that they value my resources. Some even say that their income has increased because of a job opportunity or improvement in client retention. If that describes you, there will be opportunities soon to share your appreciation with me and even to pay it forward. Join me at an open Zoom on May 21, Noon – 1:30 PM, Eastern. The link will be sent out to my email list the day prior. In a future post, I will share details about a fund being established to support counseling excellence in the dietetic profession.
Stay tuned…