Motivational Interviewing with Families
Free · On-demand · 3 CE hours · Learn at your own pace
On-Demand Course
at your pace and convenience.
This engaging, self-paced course is approved for 3 continuing education (CE) hours. To earn CE hours, you will need to complete 1) all required course activities and 2) the course evaluation survey. A certificate of attendance will be made available on the Student Dashboard upon course completion.
What You'll Learn
After completing this course, you will be better prepared to:
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assess stages of change for each family member relative to each issue at any given time;
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use circular questions to help family members understand each other and to identify patterns of interaction; and
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use motivational interviewing (MI) to help family members move toward mutual readiness for change.
Who This Course Is For
Behavioral health providers across the globe, including:
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family therapists, art therapists, mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other mental health clinicians,
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problem gambling treatment providers,
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Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADCs),
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Certified Gamling Addiction Counselors (CGACs),
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problem gambling treatment supervisors, and
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prevention specialists.
What Is Included
When families are affected by problem gambling, meaningful change can be complicated—especially when each person is at a different stage of readiness. In this training, you’ll learn how to use motivational interviewing to strengthen family engagement, explore patterns and perspectives through circular questioning, and help family members move toward positive change while honoring their autonomy.
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The course features immersive case studies, presentations, readings, research snapshots, handouts, and other resources.
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This course includes videos of experienced mental health clinicians demonstrating clinical skills in scenarios adapted from real sessions. Clients are portrayed by actors. This provides authenticity while protecting client privacy.
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We suggest you take your time, view content as many times as you like, and access suggested readings and resources when possible. It is not necessary to complete the course in a single sitting. You are free to open and close a course as many times as you like.
Who Developed This Course
Senior Instructor Teresa McDowell
Teresa McDowell, EdD, LMFT is professor emerita at Lewis & Clark, where she served as department chair and co-founded the college’s Problem Gambling Services. With over 40 years of experience as a clinician, educator, administrator, and consultant, Teresa focuses on workforce development, equity-based clinical practice, integrated treatment for problem gambling, and clinical supervision. She is a social researcher, program evaluator, and consultant with Partners in Social Research and Senior Instructor for ACORN. Dr. McDowell has authored more than 50 scholarly publications and is lead author of Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy: Applying Third Order Thinking to Theory and Practice (3rd Ed., 2026).
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What Others Are Saying
Motivational Interviewing with Families
FIRAT GÜRSOY
This course is very important and Very impresive
This course is very important and Very impresive
Read LessMI for Families with Problem Gambling.
Kurt Smith
This was a great training with realistic family interactions in the sessions. The videos included good examples of OARS, developing discrepancy, circular que...
Read MoreThis was a great training with realistic family interactions in the sessions. The videos included good examples of OARS, developing discrepancy, circular questioning and respecting autonomy.
Read Lessvery educative
Vivien Duruibe
very educative
very educative
Read LessGreat
Dawn McClelland
great
Tiffany Wolleat
awesome
awesome
Read Less👍🏿
DONTE PHILLIPS
👍🏿
👍🏿
Read LessWhat About CE Hours
Certificate of completion will be made available on the Student Dashboard after you complete all required course activities and the course evaluation survey.
ACORN is approved by the Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), Provider ID: 26-0044, to provide continuing education courses. Additionally, ACORN is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7274. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACORN is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Next in Sequence
Once you complete this course, continue with:
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Managing Interactions in the Therapy Room
5.0 average rating (2 reviews)3 CE hours. On-demand. Provides instruction on how to actively facilitate in-session interactions to meet individual and relational goals in family problem gambling treatment. Free, courtesy of Oregon Health Authority Problem Gambling Services.
Free
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Socioculturally Attuned Family Problem Gambling Treatment
5.0 average rating (5 reviews)3 CE hours. On-demand. Introduces family therapy concepts and offers a guided tour for how to recognize the impact of sociocultural context on problem gambling and how to attune to families' sociocultural experiences. Free, courtesy of OHA PGS.
Free
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Working with Children in Problem Gambling Treatment
5.0 average rating (4 reviews)3 CE hours. On-demand. Introduces family therapy concepts and offers a guided tour for how to include children and teens in problem gambling treatment family sessions. Free, courtesy of Oregon Health Authority Problem Gambling Services.
Free
