Our Mission

To provide high-quality, engaging, experiential training in Motivational Interviewing for individuals and organizations from beginner through advanced levels.

We are committed to excellence in continued education for helping professionals from a myriad of disciplines and backgrounds.

Our Vision

To be the go-to online platform for Motivational Interviewing training.

Our Values

Growth: We support, educate and nurture helping professionals by providing a high quality, engaging learning environment to advance Motivational Interviewers across the learning continuum.
Community: We encourage a creative, fun, challenging, and diverse learning community that fosters curiosity, collaboration, humility, and empowerment.
Compassion: We foster the heart-centered spirit of MI, including acceptance, compassion, support of autonomy, hope, & affirmation (because we all need more goodness & love in this world!).
Effectiveness: We cultivate effective helping relationships through the evidence-based practice of MI while preventing burnout and improving client outcomes.
Integrity: We commit to working in the best interest of the client through ethical practices, inclusion, accessibility, diversity, and cultural humility.

About Us

MI Center for Change is a small, woman-owned business that started in 2016. We are located in Asheville, NC, USA, but we work remotely & travel all over the world! After years of training organizations in MI, we saw a need for continued training (and there are always new hires!), so we developed an online MI Academy in an effort to provide engaging, high-quality and flexible training that is online and open to the public.

We enroll individuals and organizational groups in MI Academy while still providing customized live and live-virtual MI training to organizations with our training team. We have trained thousands of helping professionals across a wide variety of disciplines. We also provide speaking engagements at conferences. Learn more here.

Agencies and organizations we have worked with include child welfare, justice-involved, community mental health, Nurse Family Partnership, school-based programming, early childhood intervention, peer support services, community health workers, services for the aging, attorneys, financial advisors and more. We have assisted with county and statewide MI implementations.

Marie Graven

1 month ago

on

Google

The trainings offered by MI Center for change are top notch! I absolutely love the training style of Hillary and Chris! They know their material so well, as well as how to actually use it in real life situations with clients. I appreciate how they break down the information into digestible pieces to make it feel easy and simple to use in my work as a Therapist and Educator. Looking forward to the next opportunities to learn from them. Edit: 7/30/25 I’ve completed additional trainings with MI Center for Change and have continued to learn so much from this model and their style of training. I always walk away with new tools, inspiration, and feel prepared to utilize MI in my daily work. They have also inspired me to become a trainer myself, and have recently completed the steps to apply for, and be accepted into a Trainers Training. I was able to pass the skills test (Standard Patient Interview) because of the excellent training and practice that was offered from MI Center for Change! Thank you all for the amazing work you do!

Ruth Clark

3 months ago

on

Google

The Level 3: MI Uplevel Advanced course was extremely beneficial allowing sharing of diverse opinions and advancing MI skills. I highly recommend taking the course!

Janeth Nunez-del-Prado

3 months ago

on

Google

Hilary is an AMAZING trainer. I grew so much in her advanced MI training series. This was the one zoom meeting that I didn't want to end when it was over! She has great practice activities, answers questions very thoroughly, and brings the "MI Spirit" to all of her classes. After taking the advanced series, I was able to "pass" MI coding and feedback with a standard patient and I don't think I could have done it without this series. I look forward to learning from her in other courses!

Don Austin

6 months ago

on

Google

I learn alot "GREAT JOB" HILLARY

Anna Ferguson

7 months ago

on

Google

I just completed the Level I MI training online (as well as the live Zoom sessions that accompany the online learning) and thoroughly enjoyed it all. I've taken several Motivational Interviewing courses and trainings before and this one was by far the most enjoyable, flexible, thorough and FUN. Couldn't recommend more. I'm looking forward to taking Level II next month.

Casey Dewar

9 months ago

on

Google

MI Center for Change offers wonderful resources and trainings!

Free Google Reviews widget

Motivational Interviewing Network...

I have been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2011. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Addiction Therapist and absolutely delight in helping individuals, groups, and organizations learn the essential skills of Motivational Interviewing. I have worked as a helping professional for 20 years, ranging from working in wilderness therapy to community mental health, providing in-home & school-based services, as a therapist with specialties including working with anxiety, trauma, addiction, and veterans. Training specialties include Child Welfare, those working with the unhoused community, and addiction.

Learning can be energizing!

I get really playful when I teach. I've been known to break into a cheer (no, I wasn’t a cheerleader). I grew up in the ATL (hooty hoo!), but have enjoyed mountain life in Asheville, NC the last 20 years. When I'm not training, I love my weekly hip-hop dance fitness class (yep, with my salt-n-peppa hair). I love hiking alone with my dog in the woods (I know, so clichéd!). I love baking with my daughters, and a good tea party with my grandma’s china. I honestly love to do laundry (you know, the dirty to clean process, so clear, as opposed to the challenging work of helping people change!). And just about the only sugar I eat is a good dark, dark chocolate bar or bonbons. Also, you will find me in bed by 9:30p because I love my sleep, unless I have been invited to a 90’s hip-hop dance party.

What lights me up the most, perhaps, is sitting with a person and being a part of witnessing their change. You know, those moments when a client looks at you with damp eyes and you can tell they somehow have just realized that they are OK at their core. Powerful stuff we do, helping others. Important stuff.

Contact me to explore training options.

Hi, I'm Chris Miles
MSW, LCSW

LEAD MI TRAINER

Hello! I have been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers since 2014. MI helps me to empower clients to overcome what gets between them and their innate ability to reach optimal health and happiness and it also helps me to connect more fully with my family and friends. If you practice MI long enough, it becomes a natural part of who you are; I use its spirit every day both professionally and personally.

Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers...

I am a licensed clinical social worker, having earned my MSW from Arizona State University, and have worked for over 20 years in hospitals, home health, hospice, and as a clinical services manager in a continuing care retirement community. I've been with Mission Health System for over 10 years and currently work with cardiac rehab patients who are enrolled in the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease.

I have a West Highland Terrier...

I love sharing what I have learned with others and have provided MI training to hundreds of healthcare providers as well as a variety of mental health professionals. I also practice the Lifestyle Medicine philosophy of care, which uses lifestyle choices to make positive change in one's overall physical and emotional health. Due to this work, I have incorporated a greater focus on nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness/meditation into my own life.

If I could choose to do anything in my free time, I would travel. I love seeing new places and learning about new cultures and people. My husband does, too, so we try as often as we can to pack up our camper trailer and take our two kids and West Highland Terrier, Fenway, out on the road. He's the first dog I've ever had; I am crazy about him to the point that my kids are clearly a little jealous!

Hi, I'm Chris de Beer
MSW, LCSW

ADVANCED MI TRAINER

Hey! I'm Christopher, for 20 years I have been helping adults, children, and families realize difficult, yet desired, changes in their lives. My professional experience spans a wide variety of fields, including schools, wilderness therapy programs, hospitals, and mental health centers. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and have been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers since 2014.

I love the evolving nature of training...

I love the evolving nature of training and group work - pulling out the wisdom and experience already present, and helping the group shape it towards a shared goal. I work hard to listen, so that I can honor each individual's unique character, and help him or her to tap into inner strengths and values. Humor is important to keep energy up, so there's a good bit of that in my trainings as well! Outside of my professional life, I like spending time with my family, running, playing board games, and watching movies (generally not at all the same time).

Hi, I'm Aided Sanchez

Project Manager/Executive Assistant

Many of you have already reached out to me! I work behind the scenes with Hillary answering your questions and fixing all the technical bugs! I also help create our Marketing content and updating our website making them pretty and user-friendly! I am always open to ideas and questions, so please reach out to me - admin@micenterforchange.com.

I graduated from...

I graduated from Alvernia University in a small city in Pennsylvania, with a Bachelors degree in Marketing. I'm a first generation Mexican-American. I love to eat (but gotta balance it at the gym), love to travel, try new foods, and dance! I'm very crafty so I have many hobbies - you'll always find me doing something!

Greatest Achievement...

- Greatest Achievement: Starting my own business

- Favorite food: wings or any mexican dish

- Favorite Quote: Growth is uncomfortable; if you're not uncomfortable, you're not growing

- Favorite season: Spring & Fall

- Favorite kind of vacation: staycation

Hi, I'm Dr. Kate Watson

MSW, LCSW

ADVANCED MI TRAINER

Hey! I'm Dr. Watson, I hold a Master of Education in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University, a Doctorate in Health Policy and Social Justice from Drexel University, and a Certificate of Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

I am the President and Founder of...

I am the President and Founder of The Advocacy Academy, which is a consulting company focused on the development of skilled victim and family advocates to reduce violence around the world. Through my work with The Advocacy Academy, I have conducted educational workshops in 32 states, 8 countries, and across many fields: healthcare, education, social services, financial advising, victim advocacy, corrections, and leadership. On average, I speak to 10,000 live audience members each year.