For fifteen years, Chris has been helping adults, children, and families realize difficult, yet desired, changes in their lives. His professional experience spans a wide variety of fields, including schools, wilderness therapy programs, hospitals, and mental health centers. Regardless of setting, Chris honors each client's unique character, and helps him or her tap into personal strengths and find ways to live in line with personal values. Through the MINT, Chris enjoys helping other professionals find ways to use Motivational Interviewing as a tool to effectively engage clients in a person-centered, empowering manner.
Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, from Grinnell College, and a Master in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is licensed in the state of North Carolina as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (C007931), holds the national credential ACSW (Academy of Clinical Social Workers). He is a member of the NASW (National Association of Social Workers) and has been a member of the MINT since 2014.
Chris provides customized training to therapists, teachers, healthcare providers, and others seeking to evoke real change in others. Chris has extensive training in practicing and teaching Motivational Interviewing, a well-documented evidenced-based practice geared to help people find their own reasons for change and build their confidence in being successful. Highly interactive, responsive to audience comments, and knowledgeable, Chris creates a dynamic learning environment that targets the specific needs of his trainees.
Many helping professionals struggle with the reality that even people who seem to want to change often choose to act in ways that are clearly self-destructive. It is painful to have expertise and a desire to share it with others, only to have them ignore, resist, or give superficial agreement, which experience tells you will not result in real change. This pattern can lead to professionals to experience feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, and ultimately cynicism and burnout - none of which helps our clients.
