Meet Adam Rietveld

“I share MI because of how it can benefit clinicians and helpers which will ultimately filter down to clients and the people they serve in the best way possible. I share MI because I remember what it was like for me, in my first introductory MI training as a participant. That first training challenged my own beliefs about what I thought I was responsible for in the helping relationship. Originally believing I needed to solve client problems through some combination of cleverness and logical trickery to get the client to some end goal in service of some outcome measure was thrown out the window. Here was this way of being present with people that consisted of partnership, collaboration, acceptance, compassion, and not cleverness but curiosity. Realizing the person across from the helper is in fact the expert on themselves and responsible for change was freeing. Allowing the client to be the expert on themselves, the expert they have always been. Through exploring their own intrinsic reasons to change behavior instead of leading them to some external reasons clients were making lasting changes. I share because I believe MI can help all helpers be more effective with the people they serve.”