CBT and Motivational Interviewing: Supporting Children and Young People to Engage in CBT
CBT is a recommended treatment for youth mental health, but active engagement can be challenging. This course explores Motivational Interviewing (MI) to address ambivalence and enhance CBT therapist skills in engaging young clients.
About this course
CBT is a treatment that is recommended by NICE guidelines for a number of psychological and emotional difficulties in children and young people. However, it is also an active therapy that requires a fairly high level of ongoing engagement on the part of children, young people and families.
There are a number of reasons why children, young people and families may be (or become) ambivalent about engaging in CBT; and this can lead to difficulties at all stages of treatment.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) ideas have been applied very successfully across a range of presenting difficulties and with populations who at times find it difficult to engage with help. This course will provide an overview of MI theory and techniques, particularly highlighting and teaching skills in those techniques that might help a CBT therapist engage a young person in different stages of therapy.
James Fairbairn
Senior AMBIT Trainer
Vicki Curry
Programme Director, Pg Cert CYP Psychological Wellbeing Practice / MSc/Pg Dip CBT for Children and Young People

Dr Laura Talbot
Joint AMBIT Programme Lead
Rebecca Smith
Senior AMBIT Trainer