Q. What’s the best thing about being a trainer?
A. When you get to go and have some training yourself…! 😃
Annmarie attended further training in her specialism Motivational Interviewing earlier this week, held at the fabulous Sophia Gardens Stadium in Cardiff. She was there alongside people from a variety of professions including physiotherapists, dieticians, sports coaches, psychiatrists, and addiction specialists.
For those of you who’ve participated in Annmarie’s training sessions, you’re already acquainted with her unwavering passion for Motivational Interviewing (MI).
She is the first person to introduce many of its tools and concepts to the legal world.
Now, you might be wondering, why should lawyers be interested in this?
Well, it’s because being a lawyer isn’t just about representing your client’s ‘position.’
It’s also about positively influencing clients and others, helping them identify the path of growth that suits them best.
This is particularly crucial in emotionally charged areas of law like family and private client matters. But also areas like medical negligence, personal injury, employment and many others.
In family or private client matters for example, a skilled practitioner recognises the aspects of a client seeking vengeance or retribution but also works to bring forth other facets of them—the ones that take a long-term perspective and prioritise the best interests of children, acknowledging the existence of different perspectives.
To make a significant impact, reduce personal frustrations, and enhance well-being, learning such techniques is a game-changer.
You might be pondering, “Isn’t this MI stuff similar to coaching?” Well, yes and no. They do share common attributes, such as the collaborative nature of conversations—no one is talking down to another as the expert. However, MI has its unique techniques.
It introduces the concepts of change talk and sustain talk. Sustain talk reveals entrenched attitudes, while change talk signals a desire or willingness to adapt and progress.
And remember the Ask, Offer, Ask model, a staple of Annmarie’s training sessions. It emphasises the importance of seeking permission before offering advice or information—even if you’re a lawyer!
This knowledge truly makes a difference.
In Annmarie’s own words, “I love it, and I believe the legal world has much to gain from it. Many thanks to Orla Adams and Steve Rollnick for a fantastic couple of days.”