Motivational Interviewing: Applying Emotional First Aid for Trauma

Motivational Interviewing: Integrating Emotional First Aid Principles for Trauma-Informed, Client-Centered Change (3HR) Presented by Christi Garner, LMFT

$45.00

Course Description

This 3-hour CE training equips licensed therapists with practical tools for integrating Motivational Interviewing (MI) with Emotional First Aid (EFA) principles when working with clients affected by trauma, chronic stress, and substance use disorders. Participants will explore the neuroscience behind change readiness, how to apply MI’s core skills in dysregulated or high-stress situations, and how to use simple, body-based regulation tools to enhance therapeutic rapport and client empowerment. Through live demonstrations, embodied practices, and interactive vignettes, clinicians will learn how to support both clients and therapists in maintaining safety, engagement, and motivation for change.

Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:

Define the core principles and “spirit” of Motivational Interviewing and how they apply to trauma-informed care.
Describe how chronic stress and trauma impact the brain’s capacity for change and how this influences client behavior.
Apply MI skills (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries) in ways that are responsive to dysregulated nervous systems.
Integrate somatic and relational safety strategies into MI sessions to support client empowerment and resilience

Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.

For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 3 hours of Clinical continuing education training.

Course Instructor: Christi Garner, LMFT

Recording Date: 10/10/2025

Course Format

NBCC ACEP # 7091, CE Training Workshops has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP #7091. Programs that do not qualify are clearly identified. CE Training Workshops is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. CE Training Workshops designates this continuing education activity for 3 continuing education hours.

CE Training Workshops, LLC, #1770, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/02/2025 to 08/02/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical continuing education credits.

Meet Your Facilitator

Christi Garner, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Trauma Therapist, and an educator who has been practicing for over 20 years. Christi works to restore resilience and a deeper awareness of the body and mind connection in relationship to trauma and high stress. She is a wellness speaker who educates about trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and breaking down difficult subjects like Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Violence, Sex Trafficking, Sexual Abuse and Assault, and the #metoo movement. She is a trainer and speaker for multiple Fortune 500 companies, military leaders, astronauts, and everyday people who help people, and for women who want to liberate themselves from trauma.

Christi is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) TF-CBT (Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher (200) CYT. As an international trainer and coach, she works with the Department of Defense, Fortune 500 Health Companies, and others to help them integrate trauma and recovery programs into the workplace and organizations.

Syllabus

Introduction

This course explores how Motivational Interviewing (MI) can be strengthened through an understanding of stress, trauma, and nervous system regulation. Participants will learn how emotional safety, embodied presence, and trauma-informed strategies enhance MI effectiveness—especially with clients experiencing dysregulation, ambivalence, or burnout.

Module 1: The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing Meets the Science of Stress

Participants will examine the collaborative and non-judgmental stance of MI and how trauma and chronic stress impact the brain’s capacity for change. The module introduces the concept of Emotional First Aid (EFA) and emphasizes the principle of “regulate before you relate,” highlighting why MI techniques may fall short without nervous system regulation.

Module 2: OARS and Embodied Listening

This module focuses on applying OARS skills with trauma-impacted clients. Participants will explore how embodied presence strengthens reflections and deepens therapeutic connection. The role of Emotional First Aid techniques will be introduced as brief resets for both clients and clinicians to support grounding and engagement.

Module 3: Eliciting Change Talk in the Context of Trauma

Participants will learn how to work effectively with ambivalence, shame, and stuckness using trauma-informed MI language. Emphasis is placed on inviting change without pressure and applying the EFA principle of empowerment through micro-choice to support autonomy and motivation.

Module 4: Caring for the Clinician

This section addresses compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma commonly experienced in high-intensity clinical settings. Participants will explore EFA-based strategies such as the Daily Energy Routine and boundary reset tools, as well as ways to cultivate a supportive, trauma-informed peer culture within agencies and clinical teams.

Summary and Q&A

The course concludes with a synthesis of key concepts and an opportunity for discussion, reflection, and application of trauma-informed MI principles in clinical practice.