Motivational Interviewing in Peer Support: Practical Skills for Meaningful Conversations

Peer support professionals play a vital role in fostering trust, connection and hope throughout the recovery journey. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centered approach that complements peer support by helping individuals explore their own motivations for change while honoring their autonomy and lived experience.

This interactive webinar features a fireside chat with leaders in this space who will discuss how the spirit of Motivational Interviewing naturally aligns with peer support. Through practical examples and real-world experiences, participants will explore how MI techniques, such as affirmations, reflections and collaborative conversations, can strengthen engagement, deepen relationships and support recovery.

Join us to discover how you may already be using Motivational Interviewing in your peer support practice and learn practical applications for intentionally integrating these skills into your everyday conversations.

By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:

• Describe the core spirit and principles of Motivational Interviewing and how they support person-centered conversations.
• Explore how Motivational Interviewing aligns with peer support values and strengthen engagement, trust and recovery-focused relationships.
• Identify practical MI techniques, including affirmations and reflections, that can be immediately applied in everyday peer support interactions.

Speakers

• Laura Leone, DSW, MSSW, LMSW, Senior Consultant, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
• Sadie Thompson, Executive Director, Wellbeing Initiative

This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,500,000 with 100% funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. government.