UPCOMING TRAINING WORKSHOP

FUNDA[MI]NTALS

An introduction to Motivational Interviewing for Helping Professionals

Overview

This workshop introduces the foundational principles and techniques of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a client-centered counseling approach developed by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick.

Participants will learn how to effectively engage clients in conversations that increase motivation for change, build rapport, and support clients in exploring and resolving ambivalence.

Motivational Interviewing is widely used across diverse social service settings, including counseling, case management, healthcare, and community outreach. Not only is it particularly effective in working with clients facing complex challenges such as addiction, mental health issues, and lifestyle changes, it's also to accompany clients on their change journeys.

By fostering a collaborative and non-judgmental helping relationship, MI helps clients discover their own reasons for change, increasing the likelihood of sustainable progress.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the core components of Motivational Interviewing, including OARS, the Spirit of MI, change talk and the four Tasks of MI.

  • Demonstrate the use of MI-style Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflections and Summaries.

  • Recognise, invite and strengthen Change Talk in conversations with clients to help them resolve ambivalence towards healthy Change.

  • Demonstrate skillful advice-giving using the Ask-Offer-Ask approach.

Who is This Training For?

Social Service Practitioners from any discipline such as social workers, counsellors, therapists, programme executives and dietitians who work directly with clients.

Workshop Dates

10 - 12 November 2025
9.30am to 5.30pm

(Total of 21 learning hours)

Training Venue Partner

MWS Family Service Centre - Yishun

855 Yishun Ring Road, Singapore 760855

Course Fee

SGD390.00 per learner

Early Bird Fee: SGD300.00 (register by 1 October 2025)

About the Trainer

Farid Jaaffar has been part of Singapore’s social work scene since 2006, picking up plenty of lessons—sometimes the hard way—through the many roles he’s taken on.

If there’s one thing he’s always been sure about, it’s his passion for helping other social service professionals grow. Farid believes in the ripple effect—when he mentors, guides, and teaches professionals, they go on to support even more client families, reaching far beyond what he could do alone.

Drawing from his experience as a social worker, Motivational Interviewing practitioner, supervisor, clinical lead, learning facilitator, and coach, Farid brings all of that together to create hands-on, engaging workshops that make a real difference in the sector.

Farid has been practising Motivational Interviewing since 2014 and has conducted Motivational Interviewing trainings for various organisations since 2017.