Overdose Prevention Task Force Holds Motivational Interviewing Workshop

By Natalie M. Yousef, CHSU-COM Class of 2026

On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, the Overdose Prevention Task Force (OPTF) held a Motivational Interviewing Workshop led by psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Terry.

During the event, Dr. Terry skillfully imparted valuable insights into the art of motivational interviewing, emphasizing the importance of not only asking the right questions, but how to ask them and engaging in active listening.

He highlighted how powerful motivational interviewing is when dealing with patients who are ambivalent about their decisions because it may resolve uncertainty and promote positive change.

Student doctor Fatima Yusuf (Class of 2026) commented on the event, “Dr. Terry shared numerous questions with us that we can use when interacting with our patients including, Why would you want to make this change?, How might you go about it in order to succeed?, What are the three best reasons to make this change?, and On a scale from 0 to 10, how important is it for you to make this change?. These questions serve as powerful tools for promoting self-reflection and allowing the patient to guide the conversation.”

The workshop offered a comprehensive understanding of motivational interviewing techniques that can be applied to any scenario including smoking cessation, weight loss, and substance abuse.

OPTF’s Internal Education sub-chair, Natalie M. Yousef (Class of 2026), will be organizing more educational events like this one this academic year.