Listening very well....

I haven't done clinical work in almost 4 years, and I have found that I am losing the skill of listening actively.  Listening actively means actually being present with the client, not planning my grocery list or how I have to pee.  It is (for me) listening with my "eagle ear" so that as the client continues, I begin to get an idea of where they are at in the world.  Not completely.  Whoever could?

Yet everyone has a story and wants very much to be heard.  And there is the explicit content of our conversation and then there is the implicit "story within the story", which is usually a powerful emotion.
It is usually sadness, and if they begin to pool up in their eyes or start to weep, it is all over.  I am weeping with them.  I weep with everyone because their suffering touches my suffering, and in that moment, we are kinfolk.

That is compassion, I believe.  More than empathy, it takes some sort of action on the part of the practitioner to express compassion to the client.  You can't just say "I am feeling compassionate for you right now."  That ain't gonna cut it.  Yet, if you meet their eyes and allow your suffering to touch theirs, if you touch their hand, if you offer them a kleenex (which many find disrupting yet please, boogers are rolling down their noses and they are so grateful for the kleenex!)

I am still so nosy to see how compassion plays out in MI as if it can be introduced as a core principle of the Spirit score, folks will actually have to act or speak in compassionate ways.

Going to go do my sitting meditation, which I forget today and I am working on compassion for myself and all of you.

Love to you all,
XXOO

Jacque

Intro to MI and Intermediate MI Online courses coming up!

Hi everyone!

My new website is up and our new course schedule is on there.

We have an Introduction to MI Online beginning on Tuesday, 4/15/14 through 5/20/14.  The cost is $500.00 USD and I will be the trainer.  The course runs for 6 weeks and we have a weekly 90 minute
Skype call that meets at 10 am CST and 6 pm CST.  Syllabus and registration are available on the website.

Intermediate MI also runs 6 weeks online and begins Tuesday, June 3 through July 8, 2014.  Once again, the cost is $500.00 USD.  The Skype calls for both courses are always on Tuesdays and we have the 2 times to accommodate non North American folks.

I find myself very busy teaching at Dominican University part time and most of my MI work is coding and teaching coding.  Lots of changes in coding have already occurred and it will be exciting when the MITI 4 comes out.  There is no due date for it at all at this time.

Many thanks and pass this info on if you know anyone looking for some good MI training with no airfare, hotel costs, time off from work and you can work in your jammies if you want!

Jacque

Behavior change for MITI coders...

Hi all:

As a MITI coder and trainer, I have had the lovely experience of behavior change for myself as I listen to practitioners' session.  I remember one project I coded where I listened to about 50 sessions with dentists as the practitioner.

When it come to Giving Information (facts about dental hygiene), I repeatedly heard facts and techniques of dental health.  I learned so much about dental health that my teeth were the healthiest that had been in my life.

I have had the same experience when doing role-plays (or real-plays) in f2f trainings.  I began using cloth napkins instead of paper napkins after doing a real-play in which I was the practitioner.  After hearing all the reasons why my "client" thought it was important for the environment to not use as many paper projects, I bought into her arguments for change.  I still use cloth napkins to this day and think of her every time I do.

I learn more from my trainees that they can possible imagine, and I have heard from many trainees that they made big behavior changes after being the client in a real-play.  It goes both ways.  I have found (as practitioner) that I make behavior changes just after coding sessions, listening to clients or working with trainees.

It is not only free therapy for the trainees.  It is free therapy for me.

Jacque

Morning folks!

I have been offering MI and MITI coding training for over 4 years now, and as a result, my f2f training business has trickled to almost nothing.  I used to think that was a bad thing yet now, I find myself enjoying the online courses.

Why?  Because I get to know the trainees much better, they get a lot more of my attention than in a f2f course, we continue to roleplay on Skype, I am able to produce more audios and videos for training
and of course, the weather provides no problem when you are working from your computer.

The course evaluations are excellent because folks are getting a good deal for their training fee.  No airline, hotel, rental or per diems required.  Their employers seem to like saving money and thus are much more willing to pay for online.

Online/blended/Skype works!

Jacque

Hi folks:  We are offering a new Advanced Coding MITI 3.1.1 Course Online that begins 11/18/13 and ends 12/23/13.  Here is the info!

International Advanced Online MITI 3.1.1 Coding Training

November 18, 2013 through December 23, 2013

Trainer:  Jacque Elder, PsyD.

Cost:  $450.00

This Advanced MITI 3.1.1 Coding course will begin Monday, November 18, 2013 and end the week of 12/23/13.  I have deliberately scheduled the calls on Mondays to avoid direct contact with the holidays.

There will be two Skype calls per week, one at 10 am CST for non-North American folks. The other Skype call will be on Monday as well 6 pm CST. Please note both calls are on Monday in order to not interfere with holidays.

You only participate in one call per week.

Dates:                         Skype times: 

11/18/13                        10 am and 6 pm CST

11/25/13                        10 am and 6 pm CST

12/02/13                        10 am and 6 pm CST

12/09/13                        10 am and 6 pm CST

12/16/13                        10 am and 6 pm CST

12/23/13                          10 am and 6 pm CST

Goals of the Course:

This Advanced course is for the person who has formal coding training as well as coding experience. If you have found that you went through a MITI training and then never coded a darn thing, join the club.  I did not code until about 3 years after my coding training.  If you fall into this category, you are more than welcome and you should review your materials from your training. We will not be reviewing the bulk of the Manual as you have already been taught that.  If you haven’t gone through a formal coding training yet were trained by a noted coder or MINTie, you are also free to participate.  I just need to know about your training and the scope of your coding work.  This is a great training for research coding as well as feedback/coaching coding purposes.

The course will focus on "challenging" sessions that have baffled many of us as well as some "easy" sessions to code. Challenging sessions might be practitioners who meander around doing some good and then not so good MI.  We like challenges where the Global Ratings are all over the place and how we come to a resolution. We must take time to talk about the different between Simple and Complex Reflections. We will focus on what utterances are not coded, whether structure, personal disclosure or observation.  We have developed examples of Behavior Codes such as Giving Information, MIA and MINAs.

The focus is on full-pass coding.  We will be using no transcripts here.  We are happy to share some forms that we have developed that helps us code quickly while still providing written examples (if requested).  We would love to have participants submit a session of their own (could be role-play or real-play) and challenge us not only on our Behavior Counts but also on the Global Ratings.  John Novo did a great one for me and it is part of my regular training sessions now.

Most of the work is done on the learner's own time, and each will be provided with an online resource that is user-friendly.  On the site, there are 6 Modules representing the 6 weeks of the course.  Each Module contains PDFs, video on parsing, utterances, random start/end times, audio of training sessions that include transcripts (uncoded and coded just for one practice!) and other resources that may be used in Feedback and Coaching.  It is estimated that learners will work 3-4 hours per week on their own time in addition to the 90-minute weekly Skype calls.

How This Course Works:

Once registered and paid, the learner will be provided with a link to the website, a username and a password.  The learner will receive this information prior to the first Skype call scheduled.  We often provide it early so learners have a chance to look at site and downloaded printed materials.  It is expected that the learner will know the MITI 3.1.1 Manual as well as basic coding skills prior to the first Skype call.

Required for Course Learning:

·      Access to a computer with Internet.

·      Access to Skype either at work or home.

·      Computer with speakers and working microphone.

·      A printer to print out MITI Manual un-coded and coded transcripts.

·      A willingness to complete homework.  The trainees who learn the most in this course are those who have done their work

Participation:

The trainers will set up group weekly Skype calls (we are still mastering Skype ourselves) and all group members will be included in call so that anyone may join the call once it has started.  Audio sessions are played on the trainer’s computer and real time coding begins in Module 1 with the Behavior Counts and Global Ratings. 

                       

Trainer:

The trainer is Jacque Elder, PsyD.  She has been a member of MINT since 2000 when she went through her Train the New Trainer. She has extensive experience coding and providing MITI Coding Training for 7 years.  She is a Professor of Psychology at Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois.  She is a licensed therapist with clinical skills in Couple/family therapy, Eating Disorders and Family-Based Treatment, Substance Misuse, Moods Disorders, Treatment for Suicide Attempters and their Families.  She has trained many people in the MITI coding system and has coded hundreds of sessions for research projects and Feedback/Coaching.

Registration:

Registration can be completed on the Clinical Training Institute’s website at www.motivationalinterviewing.info. 

Click on “Enroll Now” for the MITI Coding Training.  Once you have submitted your Registration, you can pay for the Coding course via Pay Pal. 

The registration URL is http://www.motivationalinterviewing.info/enroll.html

Payment:

All payment is done via Pay Pal, which requires the learner to have a credit card.  If a learner needs to send a check instead, that is just fine.  The check must be received prior to the beginning of the course in order for the learner to access the Coding website.

Checks should be sent to:

Clinical Training Institute

313 Wesley

Oak Park, IL  60302 USA

Certificates of Completion are provided at the end of the course.

All learners must complete a Course Evaluation Survey in order to receive the Certificate of Completion.  Certificates are generally sent through electronic mail.

Questions:

Please contact Jacque Elder at jacelder@gmail.com.  That is the best way to contact me.  If needed, my cell is 708-717-8528 yet I am better at answering my email.  Sometimes, it is difficult for me to get to my phone.  Please use email and thank you!

MITI 3.1.1 Online Coding Training

Hello folks:  I have another online MITI 3.1.1 Coding Training coming up on 8/27/13.  All of the information that you might need is below.

Registration at www.motivationalinterviewing.info

Submit your Registration and then pay through Pay Pal.

Hope you can join us!

Jacque

Online MITI 3.1.1 Coding Training

August 27, 2013 through October 3, 2013

Jacque Elder, Psy.D. and Karen Grimley, LCSW

Cost:  $450.00

This online 6 week coding course is for those practitioners who have never or rarely used the MITI 3.1.1 Coding system.  All beginners are welcome, as well as those who would like to brush up on their coding skills.

Skype Calls:

The course includes 6 weekly Skype calls that are 90 minutes long.  Learners can attend one or the other or both.  One call is on Tuesday from 10:00 am to 11:30 am, Central Standard Time.  The other call is on Thursday from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  The Tuesday call is for international learners though anyone in the course may join these calls.  All calls are recorded and then archived on the website so learners can download them and listen to them if they miss a call.

Dates of Skype Calls:

Tuesday 10 am, CST dates                                    Thursday 6:00 pm, CST dates

August 27, 2013                                                August 29, 2013

September 3, 2013                                                September 5, 2013

September 10, 2013                                                September 12, 2013

September 17, 2013                                                September 19, 2013

September 24, 2013                                                September 26, 2013

October 1, 2013                                                October 3, 2013

Alternative Dates:

We are aware that there are national and religious holidays that learners will want to participate in.  We will be mindful of this, and if needed, add another week (or call) onto the end of the course to make sure no one is excluded.                                                           

Trainers:

The trainers are Jacque Elder, Psy.D., and Karen Grimley, LCSW, both members of the MINT. Both have extensive experience coding and Jacque has been providing MITI Coding Training for 7 years. This is an interactive course with weekly face-to-face time via Skype.

Goal of Course:

The goal of the course is to learn the MITI 3.1.1 by focusing initially on the Global Ratings, then parsing/utterances/volleys and finally the Behavior Counts.  The course begins with short audios with transcripts and by Module 4; we are doing full pass coding in 5-minute increments and then the full 20-minute pass.  There are no transcripts used from Module 4 through Module 6 to increase the development of the "eagle ear" required to "hear" the Behavior Counts even in long volleys.

Most of the work is done on the learner's own time, and each will be provided with an online resource that is user-friendly.  On the site, there are 6 Modules representing the 6 weeks of the course.  Each Module contains PDFs, video on parsing, utterances, random start/end times, audio of training sessions that include transcripts (uncoded and coded) and other resources that may be used in Feedback and Coaching.  It is estimated that learners will work 3-4 hours per week on their own time in addition to the 90-minute weekly Skype calls.

How This Course Works:

Once registered and paid, the learner will be provided with a link to the website, a username and a password.  The learner will receive this information prior to the first Skype call scheduled.  We often provide it early so learners have a chance to look at site and downloaded printed materials.  It is expected that the learner will have read the MITI 3.1.1 Manual prior to the first Skype call.

Required for Course Learning:

·      Access to a computer with Internet.

·      Access to Skype either at work or home.

·      Computer with speakers and working microphone.

·      A printer to print out MITI Manual un-coded and coded transcripts.

·      A willingness to complete work done on own time so that learner is prepared for Skype call.

Participation:

The trainers will set up group weekly Skype calls (we are still mastering Skype ourselves) and all group members will be included in call so that anyone may join the call once it has started.  Audio sessions are played on the trainer’s computer and real time coding begins in Module 2 with the Global Ratings.  We review the Global Ratings in the Manual in Module 1.

Registration:

Registration can be completed on the Clinical Training Institute’s website at www.motivationalinterviewing.info.  Click on “Enroll Now” for the MITI Coding Training.  Once you have submitted your Registration, you can pay for the Coding course via Pay Pal.  The registration url is http://www.motivationalinterviewing.info/enroll.html

Payment:

All payment is done via Pay Pal, which requires the learner to have a credit card.  If a learner needs to send a check instead, that is just fine.  The check must be received prior to the beginning of the course in order for the learner to access the Coding website.

Checks should be sent to:

Clinical Training Institute

313 Wesley

Oak Park, IL  60302 USA

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Certificates of Completion:

30 CEUs are available at no additional cost.  They are provided for Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors through the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.

All learners must complete a Course Evaluation Survey in order to receive the Certificate of Completion which has the CEUs noted on it.  The Certificates can be sent to the learner via electronic mail or US Mail or both.

Questions:

Please contact Jacque Elder at jacelder@gmail.com.  That is the best way to contact me.  If needed, my cell is 708-717-8528 yet I am better at answering my email.  Sometimes, it is difficult for me to get to my phone.  Please use email and thank you!

Compassion: How will we measure it in MI?

Hello folks:

I just am now getting through the 3rd Edition of Motivational Interviewing by Miller and Rollnick.  I feel like a lazy student.

I was excited to read that another new Global Rating has been added and that is Compassion.  I am curious to see how Moyers et al will develop a Likert scale as well as Verbal Anchors for this skill.  How is compassion measured?  How is it manifested?  Compassion furthers separates MI from most of the other counseling skills even though we are all helpers.

I find that I must examine my own motives for why I would want to be compassionate.  I used to think I was, as I was always involved in Social Justice issues, went out of my way to provide pro bono services in MI, and taking the time to mentor new MI practitioners.  Yet why was I doing it?  Was I doing it to look good to the rest of the world?  "Look at me!  Perhaps I should be canonized as a saint!"
In retrospect, I was wanting to be compassionate for all the wrong reasons.

For me, compassion is present when I have a willingness to help/assist in some way without people knowing that I have been compassionate.  Anonymity may be essential in some cases.  I read somewhere that the greatest way to share gifts is to give them anonymously and never know how the other person reacted.  To give gifts/assistance without expectation of being thanked or acknowledged is very hard for me.  To be giving in this way means that I will never feel the glow of "What a good person I am."  I like that glow.  Yet my motives are way, way off.

I agree with Bill and Steve that compassion is what brings us helpers into the helping profession.  And in looking back, I became a therapist because I wanted to "help people".  Yet what good is helping if the rest of world isn't around to tell you what a fabulous person you are.

Compassion also means never giving up on someone.  It is difficult to be around folks when they are suffering yet we do ourselves a great injustice by avoiding them and telling people "I am setting clear boundaries."  What boundaries surround suffering?  What boundaries surround folks wanting to make a behavior change and feeling helpless/hopeless about it?

I also believe that I have to be open and experience compassion before I can be that way with someone else.  I thought I was being compassionate.  I was self-righteous and self-absorbed.

I am perfect in my imperfections.  I strive to still maintain the "pathological optimism" that Bill Miller talks about and I am working on being "relentlessly compassionate".  This is the hard work.