"This course has been absolutely brilliant. I have enjoyed every minute of it." Motivational Interviewing with Expert Citizens Insight Academy, May 2026
- May 22
- 3 min read
Greetings one and all,
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of training an array of professionals from across Stoke on Trent and beyond. This time it was Motivational Interviewing ‘Inspiring Change’ with Expert Citizens Insight Academy. The Insight Academy is a wonderful resource and is respected and admired by so many professionals. Long may it continue, in whichever guise it finds itself…
This time we had staff from:
· Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent
· Uniting Staffordshire Against Hate
· Keele University
· Stoke on Trent City Council Adult Social Care
And
· Expert Citizens very own legendary Jodie – they were all exemplary learners.
As always, the learners were motivated and UP for the two days of training. They threw themselves into each of the tasks and the new training films went down a storm. A massive thank you to Ben, Asa, Lola, Lynda, Dane and Colin for being the best. Your input in the creation of my course makes all the difference. Real lived experience in action.
And another round of applause to my wonderful actors for knocking it out of the park. Cheers got to Maggie and Rob for being basically Oscar worthy in what they bring to my training films. Fabulous.
Shall we have a spot of feedback? Oh, go on then, yes, you’ll be pleased to note that it is all 100% positive.
“I have really enjoyed the training! I have found it really useful to my role and has changed the way I believe I will communicate with my clients in future. overall great training with some key aspects I will take away from the past two days.”
Lee
“Thank you for the last couple of days Steven - it's been brilliant!!!! This course has been absolutely brilliant. I have enjoyed every minute of it. The presentation style and knowledge of the trainer has been exceptional. I have learned a lot of new techniques and have increased my understanding of how to interview with purpose. The course was very interactive with I found very inclusive. Not using roleplay was a huge relief, but using pairs questioning worked even better as a suitable, less daunting alternative. I will certainly complete another course with this provider, and this trainer. Well done - and thank you!”
Vikki
“I've enjoyed these two training days so much I'm gutted I've got to leave early! Will definitely be back. Some trainers give scenarios that aren't applicable to my role, but this was broad enough and covered so many different types of approaches and activities that I've got lots of ideas I can implement immediately into my work. 10/10 would recommend this training to anyone in a supportive role.”
Mari
“I really enjoyed this training. Everything was broken down into easily digestible acronyms with lots of room to practice. The worksheets were super helpful too! The breakout rooms gave lots of breathing space to bond with the group and focus on specific skills.”
Jodie
“The two‑day motivational interviewing sessions delivered by Steven were very good. He used a clear, structured approach to present the ideas, and the sessions were both engaging and insightful. Steven encouraged individual and group participation, which made the learning experience even stronger. There was a lot to take away, and it’s clear that it will take ongoing practice to fully integrate these skills into my work. I’m really glad I attended.”
Emmanual
“Thank you so much Steve, the breakroom aspect is an excellent way for participants to engage and learn. Keep it up. Not only did I get an opportunity to reflect on my practice, I managed to reflect on my personal life and I do feel motivated. Thank you everyone for participating.”
Bernadette
“I benefited a great deal from this course, not only for the stand-alone training in MI, but because I can transfer many of the valuable practices to my existing work.”
Mary
“Thank you so much Steve, this training was awesome.”
Betilia