Motivational Interviewing: Building Skills in Cairns
About
2-Day In-Person Workshop | Cairns | 14th & 15th July✔ 14 CPD hours
Regional services consistently ask for professional development that is practical, credible, and relevant to the realities of frontline work.
Last year I delivered Motivational Interviewing workshops in Longreach and Rockhampton. The uptake and feedback reinforced the value of bringing high-quality, in-person training directly to regional contexts.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, evidence-based approach to supporting behaviour change, particularly when people feel ambivalent, stuck, or resistant.
This 2-day, in-person workshop is highly practical and skills-focused, designed to support frontline practitioners working with complex presentations across AOD, mental health, health and allied health, youth, family, and community services.
MI does not replace existing frameworks or interventions. Instead, it strengthens engagement and improves the effectiveness of whatever else you already do.
Who should attend?
- AOD, mental health, health, allied health, youth and family practitioners
- Social workers, counsellors, psychologists, nurses, and allied health clinicians
- Peer workers and lived experience staff
- Case managers, support workers, and team leaders
No prior MI training is required. Suitable for both new and experienced practitioners.
What you’ll learn?
Across two days, participants will:
- Understand the spirit and foundations of MI
- Develop core MI skills (OARS) and use them deliberately
- Recognise and respond to change talk and sustain talk
- Reduce resistance without confrontation
- Structure conversations that move people toward change
- Apply MI skills to real practice scenarios from their own work
The workshop is interactive, practical, and grounded in real-world application.
The trainer, Mikel Gellatly is a Qualified Social Worker and Psychotherapist with over 15 years’ experience in AOD and mental health services in clinical and senior leadership roles. Mikel delivers MI training across health, community services, education, and justice sectors in Australia and Singapore and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).
Location & logistics
- Venue: Central Cairns (exact venue confirmed closer to the date)
- Dates: 14th and 15th of July, 2026
- Time: 9:00am – 4:30pm, both days
- Cost: $499 per participant
- CPD: 14 hours (certificate provided)
- Catering: Not provided
Note: This workshop will proceed subject to minimum numbers. In the unlikely event it does not proceed, all registrations will be fully refunded.
Date
Tuesday 14 July 2026 9:00 AM - Wednesday 15 July 2026 4:30 PM (UTC+10)Location
Central Cairns (exact venue confirmed closer to the date)
Contact Form
Motivational Interviewing: Building Skills in Cairns
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