Webinar Description:

This practical introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI) explores how frontline workers in shelters, outreach, housing, and homelessness-serving settings can move away from the “fixing reflex” and toward more collaborative, effective conversations. Participants will explore how readiness, trauma, stress, burnout, and neurodivergence can affect engagement and capacity from day to day. The session focuses on adapting our approach to meet people where they are at, rather than persuading or pushing for change.

Key Takeaways: Understanding the basics of Motivational Interviewing Recognizing the “fixing reflex” in frontline work Supporting people based on readiness and capacity Listening with curiosity instead of persuading Building connection in fast-paced shelter and homelessness-serving settings

Instructors: Heather Fulton & Dawn Campbell

Instructor Bios:

Dr. Heather Fulton is a Registered Psychologist and leading expert in concurrent disorders, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based psychotherapy. With a PhD from Dalhousie University and over a decade of clinical experience in B.C., she teaches and supervises across multiple hospital and university settings, including Royal Columbian Hospital and UBC.

Dr. Fulton is certified in CBT, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing, and Brief Action Planning, and is widely recognized for her engaging training, consultation, and guest teaching on best practices in mental health and substance-use care. She has published and presented internationally on innovative approaches to treating concurrent disorders.

Through Wayfinder Wellness Centre, she also offers limited private practice, helping clients navigate substance use, anxiety, trauma, and life transitions with a compassionate, evidence-based approach.

Dawn Campbell (she/her) is a Registered Social Worker and Veterinary Social Worker with the Vancouver Humane Society, where she supports individuals and families facing financial hardship through the McVitie Veterinary Assistance Program, providing access to emergency veterinary care. She specializes at the intersection of social services and animal welfare, with a focus on trauma-informed, pet-inclusive, and community-based practice.  Dawn has nearly a decade of frontline experience working in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where she has provided emotional support, advocacy, systems navigation, crisis support, and referrals for individuals whose companion animals are part of their care story. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of the complex realities faced by people navigating homelessness, financial insecurity, and systemic barriers, and the strengths and resourcefulness people draw on in these circumstances.  In addition to her role at the Vancouver Humane Society, Dawn is a Board Director with the BC Bereavement Helpline, where she is supporting the relaunch of their pet loss support program. She also operates a private counselling and consulting practice specializing in grief, trauma, the human–animal bond, and program and policy development. Dawn is passionate about strengthening cross-sector collaboration and building systems that honour the deep connections between people and their companion animals.