It doesn’t take participants long to learn a few things about me:
I’m originally and proudly from New Jersey - Exit 166 in case you were wondering and yes, that makes me a Yankee fan living in Red Sox Nation
I can drink coffee, work a clicker and talk with my hands all at the same time - with usually just a minor spill or two
I love being a mom and have used Motivational Interviewing techniques to potty train
I deeply care about being a helper of helpers and a trainer of trainers.
When asked what book I most recently finished or are currently reading, my answer will inevitably be Nora Roberts/JD Robb. That comes as a surprise to many as I'm an unlikely demographic for her readership. However, if you ask me to tell you the story of the day I met the famed romance novelist, you will surely see I'm not kidding.
Since being immersed in the world of Motivational Interviewing I think about how different my years as a health and physical education teacher and coach would have been if I knew then what I know now. I wonder how it would have been different if instead of my past communication style I used when confronting an umpire, I said "What was good about that terrible call you just made? What was not so good about that call?"
All kidding aside, learning the skills, techniques and most importantly the spirit of Motivational Interviewing changed me professionally and personally. It changed the way I interact and communicate with others. It has helped me be a better helper, colleague, supervisor and friend as well as be a more patient and emphatic listener.
I wear my heart on my sleeve and put everything I have into each training and presentation “leaving it all on the field” as they say or conference room as the case may be. I believe in prevention, intervention and access to treatment and believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. I am a person in long term recovery who believes that there are many paths to healing and recovery with no one right way to do anything.