DAY 100+ 41 b: Two Weeks Later, Here’s What I Keep Thinking About
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Two Weeks Later, Here’s What I Keep Thinking About
It’s been a two weeks since I returned from the MINT Forum.
I’ve been sitting with the experience - what it meant to be in that room with Bill Miller, Terri Moyers, and trainers from around the world who have dedicated their lives to this work.
And I keep coming back to one thought:
I was thinking about our community the whole time I was there.
The Journey Is Real
When I first learned about Motivational Interviewing, I never imagined I’d be sitting at a conference table with Bill Miller himself, discussing the research behind accurate empathy, debating the finer points of MI spirit, and sharing stories about what works (and what doesn’t) in real practice.
The path from “What even is OARS?” to “MINT Forum Full Day Presenter” felt impossible back then.
But here’s what I learned at the forum, and what I’ve been reflecting on this past week:
The people who make it to MINT Forum aren’t the ones who had it figured out from the beginning.
They’re the ones who kept showing up to practice.
Who were willing to be messy.
Who did their own healing work alongside their skill development.
Who found community and stayed connected.
That’s it. That’s the path.
What Bill Said That Stopped Me
During one of the sessions, Bill Miller shared something that I’ve heard from him before but landed differently this time:
“Across 70 years of psychotherapy research, accurate empathy is the single biggest predictor of client outcomes. Not techniques. Not theoretical orientation. Just... can you accurately understand and reflect what someone is experiencing?”
And sitting there, I realized:
That’s what we practice together every Monday and Friday.
Not OARS drills. Not memorizing DARN-CAT. Not technique for technique’s sake.
We practice being with people’s experience until we can reflect it back in a way that makes them feel truly understood.
Because that’s what actually helps.
The Helpers Back Home
While I was at MINT Forum, I kept thinking about the helpers in our community who are just starting this journey.
I thought about the person who came to their first practice session and was terrified to speak.
I thought about the helper who’s been doing this work for 20 years but feels burned out and is wondering if there’s a different way.
I thought about the social worker who signed up for MI Basics last month because they’re “tired of pushing rope” with clients.
I thought about you.
Because here’s what I want you to know:
The helpers at MINT Forum - the ones who seem like they have it all figured out? They’re just like you. They just kept showing up.
This Week’s Feedback from Our Community
Speaking of showing up - while I was away at the forum, you all continued practicing together. And this week’s feedback made me tear up a little:
“MI skills for life and personal healing” - One of you
“I am so happy to have found this group... opportunity to have community interested in MI” - Another
“Lean into vulnerability and show up as yourself” - Meg
“It’s OK to not ‘get it right’” - Someone in Monday’s practice
“Very welcoming and comforting space” - A first-timer
This. This is what it’s about.
Not techniques. Not certifications. Not even MINT Forum (though that’s pretty cool).
It’s about creating spaces where helpers can:
Practice being with difficulty instead of fixing it
Process their own triggers and stuck places
Find community with people who understand the weight of caring
Transform how they show up - not just with clients, but with themselves
The Next Class Cycle Starts in Soon
I’m writing this on a today reflecting on the past week, thinking about the journey, and I realized:
Our next MI Basics class starts in 1 days. (Friday, November 7)
And I want to invite you - not to become a MINT Forum attendee (though some of you might, someday) - but to start the journey.
The journey that looks like:
Showing up to practice, even when you don’t feel ready
Being willing to be messy and make mistakes
Finding your people who understand this work
Doing your own healing alongside your skill development
Transforming how you show up in all your relationships
That’s what our classes are really about.
What Makes These Different
Here’s what I learned from being at MINT Forum and coming back to our community:
The best MI training isn’t about perfect technique.
It’s about:
Safe spaces to practice without judgment
Permission to be imperfect and still learning
Community that celebrates your growth
Personal healing integrated with skill development
Sustainable practice that doesn’t add to your overwhelm
That’s what we’ve built here. That’s what starts November 7.
The Three Paths Forward
MI Basics: Friday, November 7
For helpers ready to drop the rope on control
If you’re exhausted from pushing and fixing, if you want permission to show up differently, if you’re ready to learn how being with someone’s struggle is more powerful than solving it - start here.
Already have some MI foundation?
MI Intermediate: Friday, December 5
Heal your own relationship with change
MI Advanced: Friday, January 9
From technique to presence and artistry
Each class is spaced a month apart so you can anchor your learning in our free practice sessions. Each one assumes you’re human, messy, and doing your best.
What I Wish I Could Tell My Earlier Self
If I could go back and tell myself something when I was first learning MI - when I was intimidated by the “experts,” when I felt like I’d never get it right, when I thought everyone else had it figured out - I would say:
“Just keep showing up. The path from here to MINT Forum is real. But more importantly, the transformation that happens along the way - in how you show up with others, in how you relate to yourself, in how you move through the world - that’s what actually matters.”
Your Invitation
Whether you end up at MINT Forum someday or not, whether you become a MINT trainer or just a better listener, whether you practice MI professionally or just with your family - there’s a place for you in this community.
We start November 7.
Between now and Friday, come to a free practice session and see what it feels like to practice with people who get it.
Or just reply to this email and tell me where you are on your journey. I’m happy to help you find your starting point.
Right now, a week after MINT Forum, sitting here on a Saturday morning, I’m thinking about the helpers who are about to start their journey.
That’s you.
And I can’t wait to practice with you.
With gratitude from the journey,
Sky
P.S. A two week ago I was sitting with Bill Miller at the MINT Forum. This Friday, I’ll be sitting with people just starting MI Basics. Both matter equally. Both are part of the same journey. Come join us.
P.P.S. Register for all three classes (Basics, Intermediate, Advanced) and get 40% off the last one. We take care of our community. Email me for the code: skykershner@gmail.com
P.P.P.S. Not ready to register? That’s okay. Come to Monday or Friday’s free practice session at noon ET and just practice with us. No commitment, just community.
We can help you practice your reflections
Join us at a free practice, Mondays or Fridays at noon, nyc time. Reserve Your Spot!
And we also have a Making Reflections AI practice tool in the MI-AI Practice Room if you want to give it a try.
And Thank you!
100 Days of MI is free. And I’m super glad so many folks are enjoying the daily posts.
And you can help me keep this going.
Sustaining members are the reason we can offer Free Practice sessions to helpers in 45+ countries, as well as these emails to over 3000 learners. Your membership sustains a community that’s bigger than any of us individually.
Comments from yesterday, on Double Sided Reflections
I love a good double-sided reflection. When change talk begins to outweigh sustain talk, I like to offer one as a way to soften the sustain talk. When my client is leaning into change, I often notice their response carries a calmer, more settled, and more content tone. But if I’ve misread the moment and there’s still a small thread of hesitation, they may keep talking about change, yet that calm, settled tone is missing. - Carol Sullivan
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We are all in this together
Sky Kershner, LPC, ALPS, LCSW, DMin
Assistant Professor, WVU School of Medicine
MINT Certified Trainer of Motivational Interviewing
AAMFT Approved Supervisor / Member IEDTA / PACT L2
304-220-0088 / www.wv-mi.com / the mi-ai practice space
