Training
Eric is an experienced trainer in Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Eric was first trained in MI in the late 90s and has been using MI with clients ever since. In 2004 he was trained as a trainer in Motivational Interviewing by Dr. Bill Miller and Dr. Stephen Rollnick, co-developers of MI as part of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).
Eric has trained thousands of professionals all over Indiana in MI, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, mental health professionals and health coaches.
In addition to being an MI Trainer, Eric was trained as a trainer in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy by Dr. Kevin Polk, co-author of The Essential Guide to the ACT Matrix: A Step-by-Step Approach to Using the ACT Matrix Model in Clinical Practice. He has over 100 hours of training in ACT with the some of the top ACT trainers in the US and Australia. He is also a member of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS).
Eric is one of the core trainers in MI and ACT at Community Health Network. He has guest lectured on MI and ACT at the Schools of Social Work at IUPUI and the University of Indianapolis.
Over the last 20 years, Eric has provided MI and/or ACT training to many of the top agencies, treatment facilities and organizations in Indiana. He has provided training for Community Health Network, Roche Diagnostics (Diabetes Health Coaching Program), Bauer Family Resources, WindRose Health, On Target Health and New Hope Services.
Eric was part of a research study providing ACT to parents with children in the neonatal intensive care unit at CHN. He is also part of research at IU Health providing ACT to healthcare professionals for overall wellness and life/work balance.
Training offered:
Introduction to Motivational Interviewing
Advanced Motivational Interviewing
1 or 2 day training designed to help participants:
- Move from basic competence to more advanced clinical skillfulness in MI
- Improve ability to recognize, elicit, and respond to change talk
- Learn strategies for if, when, how to initiate a change plan with a client
- Negotiate and develop a specific change plan when commitment exists
- Improve ability to provide Advice with Permission
- Consolidate client commitment to change
- Blend M.I. with other intervention methods
- Transition flexibly between M.I. and other approaches to helping
- Experience intensive observed practice in advanced MI skills
- Receive individual and group feedback regarding MI practice
Motivational Interviewing with Couples & Families
1 or 2 day training designed to help participants:
- Recognize the unique challenges of using MI with more than one client in the room
- Understand the fundamental spirit and principles of MI
- Strengthen empathic counseling skills (OARS)
- Learn how to work with couple/family interpersonal dynamics in session
- Understand how to address couple/system issues when the members are at different levels of motivation, confidence and stages of change
- Understand and practice the directive aspects of MI
- Understand and identify the 4 processes of MI
- Experience and practice an MI style for managing resistance and discord in couple/family sessions
- Learn how to elicit and strengthen change talk (preparatory and commitment language)
- Have observed practice in basic MI skills
- Receive individual and group feedback regarding MI practice
- Explore reasons to recommend individual sessions for more focused MI
Motivational Interviewing with Substance Use Disorders
1 or 2 day training designed to help participants:
- Recognize the common treatment issues and areas of ambivalence when using MI with clients struggling with substance-use disorders
- Understand the fundamental spirit and principles of MI
- Strengthen empathic counseling skills (OARS)
- Learn how to use Advice with Permission to do client substance-related education
- Understand and practice the directive aspects of MI
- Understand and identify the 4 processes of MI
- Experience and practice an MI style for managing the common types of resistance and discord encountered in substance-use disorder treatment
- Learn how to elicit and strengthen change talk (preparatory and commitment language)
- Have observed practice in basic MI skills
- Receive individual and group feedback regarding MI practice
- Explore options for using MI in group treatment settings
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Introduction to Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Advanced Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
1 or 2 day training designed to help participants:
- Learn advanced uses of the ACT Matrix
- Practice additional ACT-specific strategies, techniques and exercises to use with their clients
- Understand informed consent strategies when using ACT with clients
- Learn how to use ACT processes “in the moment” during a session with a client
- Develop skills in ACT case conceptualization
- Understand the basics of Relational Frame Theory and Functional Contextualism
Participants will learn how to help clients:
- Identify and move away from unworkable change strategies
- Make healthy contact with thoughts, feelings, and other private reactions they have feared and avoided
- Accept unwanted private experiences which are out of personal control
- Re-connect with who and what is important to them in order to set a direction for change and to motivate change
- Increase their ability to be more psychologically present
- Commit to take action toward living a values-based life
Introduction to the ACT Matrix
1/2 day, 1 or 2 day training designed to help participants:
- Learn the ACT Matrix, a seamless fusion of the six core processes of ACT into a simplified, easy-to-apply approach
- Understand how to use the Matrix with individuals, couples, families and groups
- Understand how use the Matrix at intake and follow-up sessions
- Demonstrate the ability to do the Matrix with a client
Participants will learn how to use the Matrix to help clients:
- Identify and move away from unworkable change strategies
- Make healthy contact with thoughts, feelings, and other private reactions they have feared and avoided
- Accept unwanted private experiences which are out of personal control
- Re-connect with who and what is important to them in order to set a direction for change and to motivate change
- Increase their ability to be more psychologically present
- Commit to take action toward living a values-based life
ACT with Couples & Families
1 or 2 day training designed to help participants:
- Understand Psychological flexibility
- Learn the ACT model of psychopathology
- Identify and use the six core processes on the Hexaflex
- Recognize the unique challenges of using ACT with more than one client in the room
- Learn how to work with couple/family interpersonal dynamics in session
- Understand how to address couple/system issues when using ACT
- Learn the ACT Matrix, a seamless fusion of the six core processes of ACT into a simplified, easy-to-apply approach
- Practice ACT-specific strategies, techniques and exercises to use with couples and families
- Explore reasons to recommend individual sessions for more focused ACT
Participants will learn how to help couples and families:
- Identify and move away from unworkable change strategies
- Make healthy contact with thoughts, feelings, and other private reactions they have feared and avoided
- Accept unwanted private experiences which are out of personal control
- Re-connect with who and what is important to them in order to set a direction for change and to motivate change
- Increase their ability to be more psychologically present
- Commit to take action toward living a values-based life
ACT with Substance Use Disorders
1 or 2 day training designed to help participants:
- Understand Psychological flexibility and recovery
- Learn the ACT model of psychopathology and substance use disorders
- Identify and use the six core processes on the Hexaflex
- Learn the ACT Matrix, a seamless fusion of the six core processes of ACT into a simplified, easy-to-apply approach
- Practice ACT-specific strategies, techniques and exercises to use with their clients struggling with substance-use disorders
- Explore options for using ACT in group treatment settings
Participants will learn how to help clients:
- Identify and move away from unworkable change strategies
- Make healthy contact with thoughts, feelings, and other private reactions they have feared and avoided
- Accept unwanted private experiences which are out of personal control
- Re-connect with who and what is important to them in order to set a direction for change and to motivate change
- Increase their ability to be more psychologically present
- Commit to take action toward living a values-based life