Rethinking Resistance: Motivational Interviewing Strategies for Strengthening Client Engagement

In this course, Dr. Edward Wahesh (Ph.D., NCC, ACS; Associate Professor in the Education and Counseling Department, Villanova University) elaborates on how motivational interviewing can enhance client engagement, especially when conversations feel stuck or clients appear "resistant". You learn how MI conceptualises resistance not as a client trait but as a dynamic that emerges within the interaction - often rooted in client ambivalence (a stuckness occurring because both sides of the ambivalence serve an important need in the person's life) and/or relational discord (construed as a strain or dissonance within the relationship). Through a blend of theory and practical strategies, the course guides you in recognising sustain talk and change talk, responding in ways that reduce defensiveness, and using MI Spirit and core skills to deepen rapport, lower threat, and support clients' own motivation for change. By the end, you will be equipped with concrete, MI‑consistent tools for navigating challenging conversations and fostering meaningful movement toward change.