Motivational Interviewing Training
& Consultation for Helping Professionals
Deeper connection.
Meaningful change.

What is MI?

Change is hard, and talking with people about change can feel hard too. Motivational Interviewing (or “MI”) is a person-centered style of communicating that is designed to rapidly and deeply facilitate human connection and evoke a person’s desires and abilities toward behavior change. It is a particular way of talking with people about change and growth to strengthen their own motivation and commitment (Miller & Rollnick, 2023). For four decades, MI has been studied and applied as an evidence-based practice across various helping professions and roles, from healthcare to education to leadership. Onna Brewer and Margo Bristow bring together years of experience in MI, person-centered and cognitive-behavioral approaches, and evidence-based care to assist other professionals in reaching their potential for helping clients reach their personal goals.

The Brewer & Bristow MI Growth Tree

We designed the MI Growth Tree to guide what we do based on decades of research on the science of MI learning and implementation.

  • MI Competency

    We facilitate interactive workshops and consultation groups on MI from introductory Foundations through Advanced and Specialty Topics.

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  • MI Proficiency

    We help MI practitioners grow in their skills through observation of real practice, feedback, and 1:1 skills coaching.

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  • MI Fidelity

    We teach MI practitioners how to listen for MI fidelity and provide feedback and skills coaching to help others learn MI.

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  • MI Sustainability

    We help organizations meet MI training and implementation needs, and we help skilled MI practitioners grow as internal champions and future trainers.

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Meet B&B

Onna Brewer, PhD

  • Onna completed her doctorate in Human Services Psychology with specialties in Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County under the mentorship of Carlo DiClemente, PhD, ABPP where she began practicing Motivational Interviewing in 2006 and training others in 2009. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the VA Maryland Health Care System specializing in evidence-based treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder followed by a staff psychologist position with the Veterans Health Administration providing care across an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Trauma Recovery Program, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy Team. She was a Motivational Interviewing consultant and regional trainer for the VA’s National Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Initiative. She joined the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) in 2017.

    Her research and clinical passions include addictions, trauma recovery, health behavior change, and care for historically under-served populations through person-centered, acceptance and compassion-focused, and process-based cognitive-behavioral approaches. She is a licensed psychologist in the State of Florida.

Margo Bristow, MA

  • Margo Bristow is a Psychotherapist with a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology and is Licensed in Illinois as an LPC. Margo is a past Adjunct Instructor at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois and is a Member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). She is Certified as a Substance Abuse, Problem and Compulsive Gambling, and Anger Management Specialist. She is also an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist.

    Margo has experience working in the fields of mental health, education, criminal justice, and child welfare. This experience has been garnered from time spent doing outreach to gang members in the streets of Chicago, working at inner-city and suburban schools, and working at many levels of private and public mental healthcare. She has dedicated over forty years of her practice to youth, adults, and families with Chemical and Process Addictions of Gaming, Gambling, Internet, and Social Media. Margo has providing a variety of trainings throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, and Estonia.

Feedback from our learners and organization stakeholders

  • “Wonderful training, and I’m looking forward to the consultations.”

  • “Top quality training and the trainers tailored the content for the needs of the group.”

  • "Thanks for being so warm and making the training experience fun and easy to understand.”

  • “I loved taking this training and would gladly sign up for more trainings with B&B.”

  • “You guys are clearly very passionate about MI. I found lots of value in this training.”

  • “I really valued your training and facilitation styles. You both really balance one another, and I'm so excited to dive deeper into using MI in my coaching and with my schools.”

  • “I truly enjoyed the MI training and learned a lot. I can see how it will benefit not just my client interactions, but also interacting with others in my life.”

  • “As always, I really value trainings offered by Bristow and Brewer. I can't wait to keep growing with you!”

Who are our learners?

We have provided MI training and consultation for various helping professionals, including:

  • Community mental health workers and program managers

  • Corrections and probation workers

  • Health care providers and hospital
    program managers

  • Health department workers

  • Higher education faculty, advisors,
    and academic coaches

  • Licensed counselors

  • Medical assistants

  • Mental health providers and trainees

  • Nurses

  • Organizational leaders and supervisors

  • Pediatric care specialists and child services

  • Peer support specialists

  • Pharmacists

  • Physicians

  • Psychiatrists

  • Psychologists

  • Social workers

  • Students in helping professions

  • Teachers

Contact us

Email for a free initial consultation about your MI learning needs and how we can help. We look forward to growing with you!

  • Onna Brewer, PhD onna@brewerbristow.com

    Margo Bristow, MA, LPC margo@brewerbristow.com

  • 113 S. Monroe Street

    Tallahassee, FL 32301

  • (815) 527-3982