PESI offers several free training courses every year on the most current and effective approaches in therapy. It's our way of giving back to our community of clinicians who are doing such important work in the world.
Learn Motivational Interviewing. Straight from the Source. For Free!
For decades, clinicians have been cautioned against giving advice in therapy—warned it could provoke resistance, weaken rapport, or undermine client autonomy.
And yet…your clients often come in asking for guidance. They want direction. Reassurance. Help making sense of their next step.
The truth?
When feedback is offered skillfully, it doesn’t shut clients down…
…It pulls them in.
It deepens collaboration, strengthens engagement, and ignites real, lasting behavior change.
This is exactly where Motivational Interviewing shines.
MI shows you how to offer guidance without taking over—so clients feel heard, empowered, and more motivated to change because of the conversation, not despite it.
Register for
FREE Today!
Can't attend live?
Register anyway for 3-day free access to the training!*
*CE credit is available for an additional cost.
Register for more information.
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In this all-new FREE training from Motivational Interviewing co‑developer Dr. Stephen Rollnick, you will see exactly how to apply MI in everyday clinical moments…
…transforming your work with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship concerns, addictions, and more.
Study with a true pioneer of change and strengthen your ability to meet clients where they are—across diverse, real‑world clinical contexts.
Save your spot today.
FREE Virtual Summit
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Advanced
Motivational Interviewing with Stephen Rollnick:
How to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
Featuring Stephen Rollnick,
PhDHow to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Can't attend live? Register anyway for 3-day FREE ACCESS to the training!
*After you register, upgrade to receive up to 7.5 CE hours
Turn Advice Into a Catalyst for Real,
Lasting Behavior Change
When advice and feedback are offered with the spirit of MI, they don’t undermine motivation—they ignite it.
This advanced training, developed by Motivational Interviewing (MI) co‑founder Stephen Rollnick, PhD, and featuring insights from expert MI trainer Orla Adams, shows you how the MI approach has evolved to embrace advice and feedback as essential components of the therapeutic process—when they are offered with respect, autonomy support, and collaborative spirit.
Through a combination of lecture, discussion, demonstration, and applied practice, participants will learn how to:
- Transform advice from a source of resistance into an opportunity for change using nuanced language, timing, and structure
- Utilize ready-to-use scripts that increase engagement, reduce dropout, and foster sustained motivation
- Integrate MI-consistent guidance into sessions focused on anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, and other clinical concerns
- And so much more!
Walk away better prepared to meet clients’ needs in the moments that matter most—at no cost to you!
You don’t want to miss this — Register Today!
Event Training Schedule
June 17 & 18, 2026
All times are in U.S. Central
All times are in U.S. Central
9:00–10:30 am: CE Instruction
10:30–10:45 am: Break
10:45 am–1:00 pm: CE Instruction
1 pm: Adjourn
What You’ll Learn
Day 1 — Foundations: Motivational
Interviewing & Giving Advice
The Spirit of MI
- A guiding superstyle: communication styles and the place of guiding
- Overview of MI: spirit, tasks, and skills
- Advice and feedback in therapy: a common challenge
- MI & advice: distant relations or close siblings?
- Risks and limitations — research and applications
Tough Conversations with
Clients
- Three key elements: your style, the relationship & the client
- Resistance re-defined
- The skills that matter
- Communication strategies to reduce resistance
Feedback and Advice: Lessons from
Motivational Interviewing
- The spirit of advice-giving: helpfulness matrix, listening and the language of offering up
- Core skills overview
- Language patterns that invite collaboration
- Linking advice to intrinsic motivation and self-determination
- The importance of permission-seeking and autonomy support
- Importance & confidence scaling: tapping into client values
Structuring Feedback in a
Session
- Deficit detective and the fixing reflex
- How it can go wrong: five common traps
- The ASK-OFFER-ASK skills map
- A deep dive into skills — What kind of open questions? The language of choice when reflecting. Placing the feedback on the table between you.
Day 2 — Putting MI Into Everyday
Practice
Falling Down the Stairs: Dumping
Advice
- When it all goes wrong
- Demonstration: what does dumping advice actually look and feel like?
- Analysis and evaluation
A Better Way: Offering Advice in Routine
Sessions
- How do you integrate advice into routine sessions?
- Principles of good practice
- Top five questions
- Demonstration and evaluation
Offering Advice in Tough
Conversations
- How do you offer advice to someone who doesn’t seem motivated to change?
- Demonstration: a tough conversation with someone who does not want to change
- Put ASK-OFFER-ASK into action
- Analysis and evaluation
Feedback for Complex Clinical
Presentations
- Offering advice in sessions addressing trauma, anxiety, and depression
- Navigating ambivalence in high-stakes conversations
- Timing and pacing feedback to client readiness
Integrating Feedback into Treatment
Planning
- Combining MI feedback strategies with other therapeutic modalities
- Feedback in collaborative treatment planning and progress reviews
- Ethical considerations and cultural responsiveness
Practice, Reflection, and Next
Steps
- Applied skills practice and feedback from peers/facilitator
- Strategies for continued skill development and supervision
FREE Virtual Summit
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Advanced
Motivational Interviewing with Stephen Rollnick:
How to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
Featuring Stephen Rollnick,
PhDHow to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Can't attend live? Register anyway for 3-day FREE ACCESS to the training!
*After you register, upgrade to receive up to 7.5 CE hours
Meet Your
Speakers!
Stephen Rollnick, PhD is a clinical psychologist and honorary distinguished professor in the school of medicine, Cardiff, UK, and a co-founder of motivational interviewing.
He was a practicing psychologist in the UK National Health Service for 16 years and then became a teacher and researcher on the subject of communication and behavior change.
He has authored and co-authored books on motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 1991; 2001; 2012), and on applications in health care (Rollnick, Mason & Butler, 1999; Rollnick, Miller & Butler, 2007; 2022), schools (Rollnick, Kaplan & Rutschman, 2016) and sport (Rollnick, Fader, Breckon & Moyers, 2019).
He has published widely in scientific journals and has taught practitioners in many countries and continents. He retired from his academic career and now focuses on projects in elite sport and healthcare.
Click here for information about Stephen Rollnick
Orla Adams is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). Orla is an experienced trainer in motivational interviewing, providing advanced independent consultancy, one-to-one, and group training. Orla is a qualified dietitian with more than 20 years of experience in the NHS and a special interest in weight management who regularly delivers training and skills coaching to companies and teams across the UK and beyond.
Click here for information about Orla AdamsEarn CE + Unlock Exclusive
Access to Train Further with Stephen Rollnick
A $549.98 value… today just $99.99!
Get the Live Upgrade Package
- Up to 7.5 Live CE hours
- 3-day recording access with unlimited replays
- Private invitation to enroll in Dr. Rollnick’s New MI course
- Preferred participant pricing + priority access
Get the Self-Study Upgrade Package
- Up to 7.5 self-study CE hours
- 30-day recording access with unlimited replays
- Private invitation to enroll in Dr. Rollnick’s New MI course
- Preferred participant pricing + priority access
A Sneak Peek to Your
Priority Access MI Training Course…
What you’re learning in Dr. Rollnick’s free training will change how you think about advice.
This course changes how you practice.
Designed specifically for clinicians who want to move beyond understanding MI…
…to those who want to become the kind of practitioner who can confidently navigate resistance, ambivalence and stuck moments without forcing change or burning out.
It’s not an overview.
It’s a deliberate shift from learning MI concepts…
…to embodying MI skillfully in complex, real-world conversations.
This advanced training is built for deeper clinical growth—refining the judgment, timing, and presence that distinguish competent MI use from mastery.
If you’re ready to become the practitioner clients experience as both deeply respectful and genuinely helpful—someone who knows how to guide change, not push it—this is your next step.
FREE Virtual Summit
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Advanced
Motivational Interviewing with Stephen Rollnick:
How to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
Featuring Stephen Rollnick,
PhDHow to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Can't attend live? Register anyway for 3-day FREE ACCESS to the training!
*After you register, upgrade to receive up to 7.5 CE hours
Learning Objectives
- Summarize the evolution of Motivational Interviewing and the contemporary role of advice within the MI framework.
- Differentiate between MI-consistent advice-giving and directive or persuasive approaches that risk triggering resistance.
- Identify language patterns and communication strategies that support client autonomy when offering feedback.
- Analyze demonstrations of poor and better client communication practices.
- Choose MI techniques for structuring and delivering feedback in sessions addressing anxiety, depression, trauma, and related clinical issues.
- Formulate strategies to reduce reactance in high-stakes therapeutic conversations.
- Develop feedback interventions that align with client values, goals, and readiness for change.
- Integrate feedback into collaborative treatment planning and ongoing therapeutic work to enhance engagement and motivation.
Who Should Attend
Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Case Managers, Addiction Counselors, Therapists, Art Therapists, Marriage & Family Therapists, Physicians, Nurses, and Other Mental Health Professionals
This event is free to attend, however, if you would like to earn CE credit, be sure to click the "Add CE" tab in your portal after registering. Enter your credit card information and complete the upgrade to become eligible to earn CE for attending this event. It's that easy!
Yes! This training is designed for:
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Case Managers
- Addiction Counselors
- Therapists
- Art Therapists
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Other Mental Health Professionals
If you would like to be a part of this event but you are unable to attend live, you can sign up for free and receive 3 days of access to the event recordings to watch on your own, or purchase the self-study version of the summit and get 30 days to complete whenever it's most convenient for you! (Earn up to 7.5 CE credits)
Yes, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with Dr. Rollnick live during the training. This ensures you get the most out of this educational experience.
There is no obligation or commitment required when registering for the free training. It's an opportunity for you to learn and explore Motivational Interviewing strategies at no cost.
FREE Virtual Summit
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Advanced
Motivational Interviewing with Stephen Rollnick:
How to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
Featuring Stephen Rollnick,
PhDHow to Stop Avoiding Advice and Offer Feedback that Works in Therapy
June 17–18, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central (each day)
Can't attend live? Register anyway for 3-day FREE ACCESS to the training!
*After you register, upgrade to receive up to 7.5 CE hours
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