Course Overview

In this course, you will use a variety of tools and techniques to help clients set achievable goals and stay motivated. You will identify the top techniques and tips that are specifically applicable to your style of counseling or that can best help you grow as a communicator in your field, and use them to compile a resource for future practice. You will practice applying empathy in order to find out what truly matters to your clients and apply that valuable information to goal setting. You will conduct a motivational interviewing session with a colleague, or friend to practice your skills in a real-life setting, reflect on what you did well and what you would change, and receive helpful feedback from the course facilitator. Finally, you will use five best practices to create your own script for a conversation in which you help a client set a realistic and actionable goal.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

Understanding the Person
Understanding the Deeper Need

Key Course Takeaways

Apply empathy to your approach in order to find what is most important to the client
Practice motivational interviewing to resolve client ambivalence and stir their internal motivation
Identify client cues and readiness in order to transition to goal setting
Execute a motivational interview
Recognize what is valuable for setting a goal (based on verbal and nonverbal communication from the client)
Determine realistic, actionable goals with the client (and for the client) based on the client's wants and motivations
Increase the use of empathy within your practice

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How It Works

Course Length

2 weeks

Effort

3-5 hours per week

Format

100% online, instructor-led

Course Author

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Beth McKinney

Lecturer

Cornell College of Human Ecology

Bio
Certificates Authored

College of Human Ecology

Lecturer for the College of Human Ecology
Faculty Fellow, Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures
Director of the Cornell University Wellness Program, 2000-2018

Beth McKinney is a Lecturer in the College of Human Ecology and former Director of the Cornell University Wellness Program. She received her bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences and her master’s degree in health education. Beth’s expertise in coaching and counseling spans over 20 years and includes life coaching, nutrition counseling, wellness counseling, and behavior change. Beth also teaches counseling skills and behavior change techniques to Cornell undergraduates. Beth is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Certified Intrinsic Coach®. With previous experience in both clinical and community nutrition, Beth specializes in both nutrition education and behavior change.

Who Should Enroll

Healthcare professionals
Medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and aides
Physical therapists
Chiropractors
Wellness coaches
Personal trainers
Naturopaths
Health educators and coaches
Nutritionists
Corporate wellness and HR professionals

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Wellness Counseling

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