I am a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and Director of the Behavioral Health & Wellness Program (www.bhwellness.org) and interdisciplinary Wellness Leadership Institute. At the CU School of Medicine, I have led a number of initiatives to study and implement effective organizational, psychosocial, and pharmacologic wellness strategies across the age range. As the Vice President of Spark Inspiration, I also create corporate wellness solutions. I have had the privilege of providing clinical, public policy, and program evaluation consultation across more than 30 states and internationally. At BHWP, our interdisciplinary team specializes in community-based wellness research, consultation, and training. I believe strongly that when you meet individuals, agencies, and communities where they are at, there is both willingness and enthusiasm for working toward healthy behavior change. I have the great pleasure of helping facilitate this growth.
MI is a fundamental building block for change and I have been training professionals in MI strategies for over 10 years. I began utilizing MI initially during internship for my Ph.D. Counseling Psychology degree. This MI work continued during my postdoctoral training. Through placements at state-level agencies, I learned how to apply MI skills to healthcare providers and leaders to facilitate desired shifts in organizational culture and climate. I have found that, across people and organizations, ambivalence regarding core behavioral change is a common unifying factor. MI is a broadly applicable perspective and tool that rapidly assists individuals to realize their inherent capacity for self-initiated change. My experience has been that mandated change is seldom sustained whereas autonomous behavior change becomes integrated into an individual’s self-identity. The MI approach supports self-reflection and continued personal growth.
