A one-day online intensive for physiotherapists

Take the pressure off yourself. Become more effective at the same time.

A practical day in motivational interviewing and behaviour change, for physios who care deeply and are tired of carrying every patient's outcome alone.

Secure your place

Registrations close Thursday 29 October.

Dr Jen Cartwright

Led by Dr Jen Cartwright, PhD physiotherapist & behaviour change scientist. Taught to clinicians for five years.

Date
Sat 31 October
Time
9am to 3pm AEDT
Format
Live on Zoom
CPD
6 hours
Melissa McConaghy
Jen has a rare ability to make the science of motivation and behaviour change practical and relatable, whether she’s speaking to clinicians or to patients and their families. Our health professional attendees left with strategies they could use in their very next session, and the feedback from both audiences was overwhelmingly positive. I’d highly recommend Jen to any clinician wanting to have better conversations about change with their patients.
Melissa McConaghy Director, Australian Physiotherapy Association, and Founder of PD Warrior and Advance Rehab Centre

Their failure starts to feel like your failure.

You're only ever as good as your last patient. And your success with that patient is only ever as good as your ability to get them to actually do the work. It doesn't matter how much you know, how many courses you've done, or whether you have a Master's or a PhD. All of that knowledge is only as good as what the patient receives and what they actually do with it.

At university you learned the structures, then the tests, then how to diagnose, then how to prescribe. We've been conditioned into a model where the patient arrives looking for an external source of certainty: "Tell me what's wrong. Tell me how to fix me." That puts the pressure on you to be the expert with all the answers.

So when someone doesn't improve, you turn it back on yourself:

Underneath it all: the failure of the patient becomes my responsibility as a clinician.

It isn't the arrogant physio. It's usually the one who cares too much.

This rarely comes from ego. More often it's the caring, conscientious physio who keeps thinking "I need to get better and better and better", until a patient's failure to do the work quietly becomes proof of their own. So you take on more. You explain more. You perform the part of the professional who has every answer. And it's exhausting.

You take too much on

"Their failure is my failure. I should have explained it better. I should have had more knowledge."

Or you push it away

"They just don't want it enough." Judging a patient before the work has even begun.

Two sides of the same problem. There is another way, and it isn't caring less.

You can't make anyone change. They have to find it within themselves.

And if you've been successful with patients before, it wasn't simply because you were an amazing, dynamic, inspiring person. Ultimately, it was their own motivation that made the change.

That shifts the whole question. Instead of "How knowledgeable, convincing and inspiring can I be so this patient follows me?" it becomes something quieter, and far more useful:

How good am I, really, at listening?

How good are you at hearing where a person actually is? At recognising their own motivation the moment it appears? At guiding the conversation so they start finding their own drive to change, rather than being handed more information they didn't ask for?

What we'll cover on the day

Two skill sets, built on how motivation actually works.

We start with the determinants of human motivation and behaviour: what genuinely influences whether someone changes. From there, two practical toolkits you can use straight away.

The foundation

How motivation works

The determinants of human behaviour, and why more information, education and willpower so often aren't the thing that moves a patient.

Skill set one

Motivational interviewing

Listen differently, recognise change talk when it appears, and guide conversations that help patients find their own reasons to change.

Skill set two

Behaviour change techniques

Practical, evidence-based techniques for supporting and sustaining change, beyond simply prescribing it.

This isn't more theory to file away. You should come away able to start using these skills literally on Monday morning.

The listening framework you'll practise

Learn to hear change talk: DARN CATS.

You stop supplying motivation and start listening for it. Once you can hear whether someone is preparing to change, or actually beginning to move, you can guide the conversation instead of piling on more advice.

Preparatory change talk: DARN
  • DDesire
  • AAbility
  • RReason
  • NNeed
Mobilising change talk: CATS
  • CCommitment
  • AActivation
  • TTaking stepsWhere change starts to become action.
"A five-minute walk, twice a week."

The moment one physio stopped telling, and started listening.

He was working with a really complex patient. She had multiple comorbidities and was morbidly obese. He was simply trying to help her get moving, and nothing was working. He'd told her what to do. He'd tried setting goals for her. It wasn't until he got into her world, started asking questions and used reflective listening that something changed.

She arrived at a goal for herself: a five-minute walk, twice a week. And she started doing it. For him, it was a lightbulb moment. Telling somebody more, and more convincingly, what they should do was never the thing that created the change.

“I use these skills day in, day out.”The physio in this story

Who this day is for.

This is for you if…

  • You're a physio who cares deeply about your patients.
  • You're tired of feeling responsible for whether every patient follows through.
  • You want practical skills you can use immediately, not another certificate to file away.
  • You want to keep caring, without carrying all of it.

Probably not, if…

  • You're after a script that makes every patient comply.
  • You believe the problem is always the patient.
  • You're not open to changing how you already practise.

What this day won't do.

Motivational interviewing is not a panacea. It won't work on everyone. Readiness matters. Life circumstances matter. Competing priorities matter. Someone may simply have too much going on to put their health first right now.

So the promise isn't "learn this and every patient will comply." It's this: you become more skilful at helping people find their own motivation to change, without carrying the belief that their change is your responsibility. You're not responsible for their life. You're responsible for doing the best job you can, walking side by side with the person in front of you.

What other clinicians say.

Jen’s message about using language positively when we talk to patients about exercise is one I’m now sharing with my own medical colleagues. Too often, well-intended advice about exercise ends up discouraging people or pushing them too hard. Jennifer offers clinicians practical tools they can actually use in the clinic, and I’d recommend her to any health professional who wants to support people to make lasting change.
Dr David Blacker AM MB BS, FRACP. Medical Director, Parkinson’s WA, Research Adviser to the Perron Institute, and author of My FIGHT with PD
Health coaching wasn’t a new concept to me, but it’s crucial for behaviour change and extremely relevant to my work. Jen’s presentation was clear, practical and accessible, and a great refresher for building my coaching skills.
Julia Mierau Community Physiotherapist
Jen’s webinar was excellent. Even my speech therapy colleague loved it! It gave us practical ideas to make our Parkinson’s exercise group more motivating and inspired me to start using motivational interviewing techniques with our class. Thank you Jen for re-invigorating my physio life!
Hannah C Physiotherapist, New Zealand

The details.

One focused day, live and online, designed for practical implementation.

WhatMotivational Interviewing & Behaviour ChangeA one-day online intensive for physiotherapists
WhenSaturday 31 October9:00am to 3:00pm AEDT (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart time)
WhereLive on ZoomInteractive, with breakout rooms and direct feedback. Recording available for 12 months.
CPD6 hoursCertificate of completion provided
Investment$497AUD, including GST
Secure your place

Registrations close Thursday 29 October.
Places are limited to keep the day practical and interactive. Full refund up to 24 hours before.

Why you can trust this day.

Dr Jen Cartwright
Dr Jen Cartwright
PhD physiotherapist and behaviour change scientist

Dr Jen Cartwright is a PhD physiotherapist and behaviour change scientist at the University of Sydney. She has spent 17 years across clinical, research and coaching practice, published 60+ peer-reviewed articles, and has been teaching this work to clinicians for five years. Motivational interviewing itself is one of the most heavily researched approaches to behaviour change.

A simple satisfaction guarantee

Come to the full day. If you don't feel it was worth your time and investment, tell us and we'll make it right.

5 yrs
teaching this to clinicians
17 yrs
clinical, research & coaching
60+
peer-reviewed articles
PhD
University of Sydney

Questions

Frequently asked questions.

Who is this day for?

Physiotherapists at any stage of their career, from new graduates and students through to very experienced clinicians.

The day is written with physios in mind, but the skills apply to anyone who helps people change their behaviour. I've delivered this training to doctors, exercise physiologists, dietitians, nurses and physiotherapy students, so other health professionals are very welcome.

Do I need any previous experience with motivational interviewing?

No. We start with the foundations of how motivation works and build from there. If you've done some MI before, the day is a practical refresher with plenty of new tools for applying it in a busy clinic.

What if I can't make the whole day? Will it be recorded?

Yes. The day is recorded and every participant gets access to the recording for 12 months afterwards. If you need to step out, join late or can't attend live at all, you can catch up in your own time. You'll still get the most from joining live, because that's where the practice and feedback happen.

What do I get?
  • The full live day of teaching, demonstration and practice.
  • A clinician handbook with all the course materials, cheat sheets and practical tips for putting motivational interviewing into practice.
  • The recording of the day, available for 12 months.
  • A certificate for 6 hours of CPD.
How does the online day work?

It runs live on Zoom and it's very interactive. There are plenty of breakout room sessions where you practise the skills with other clinicians, and you'll get direct feedback along the way. This is a day for doing, not just listening.

What time is it where I am?

The day runs 9:00am to 3:00pm AEDT (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart) on Saturday 31 October. That's:

  • Brisbane (AEST)8:00am to 2:00pm
  • Adelaide (ACDT)8:30am to 2:30pm
  • Darwin (ACST)7:30am to 1:30pm
  • Perth (AWST)6:00am to 12:00pm
  • New Zealand (NZDT)11:00am to 5:00pm
Is it CPD eligible?

Yes. The day counts for 6 hours of CPD, and you'll receive a certificate.

How much is it, and does that include GST?

$497 AUD, including GST. You'll receive a receipt when you book.

What if something comes up and I can't attend?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the course for a full refund. Or, if you'd prefer, you can transfer your place to the following month's workshop, or pass it on to a colleague.

This date doesn't work for me. Will there be another one?

Yes. Please email me and I'll add you to the list for when the next workshop opens.

Can I book for my team or clinic?

Yes, group and clinic bookings are available. Please email me to enquire.

I'm not sure it's for me. What if it isn't worth it?

Come to the full day. If you don't feel it was worth your time and investment, tell us and we'll make it right.

I have another question.

Please email me and I'll get back to you.

You already care. You already want to make a difference.

What if you could take some of that pressure off yourself and become more effective at the same time?

Secure your place
Saturday 31 October 9am to 3pm AEDT Live on Zoom 6 CPD hours Registrations close Thu 29 Oct