December 3, 8:45am-1pm

OU-Tulsa Learning Center, Perkins Auditorium (4502 E 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74135)

Free CEUs available for Social Work and Behavioral Health

Presenter’s bio: Lauren Garder is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a decade of experience in mental health and victim services. The focus of Lauren’s career has been chronic trauma and victimization. Lauren has worked at across the spectrum of services from hotlines to therapy to working in administration for the ODMHSAS overseeing trauma services and outpatient treatment for suicidality across the State. Lauren is now “back in the chair” in private practice in Oklahoma City providing therapy, expert witness, and consulting in her areas of expertise.

Workshop description: This interactive workshop introduces professionals to the core principles and techniques of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a person-centered, evidence-based approach for engaging individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Widely used across diverse populations, MI has been shown to effectively support behavior change and increase engagement in services. Participants will learn how to foster collaboration, strengthen motivation, and navigate ambivalence to support meaningful change. Practical exercises will focus on building trust, affirming autonomy, and communicating with empathy in high-stress, real-world settings.