How the 5 Principles of Motivational Interviewing Can Help Safeguard Our Nation, Families, and Futures

Desmond O’Neill discusses the need and desire to communicate better with people regardless of differences in opinion, especially during divisive times such as these. He presents the concept of “Motivational Interviewing” (MI) as a way of communicating trust between two people involved in a conversation. O’Neill says the five pillars of MI are autonomy, acceptance, adaptation, empathy, and evocation. He compares MI to enhanced interrogation, but argues that MI is more likely to produce positive results.

About the Speaker

Desmond O’Neill is a 26-year law enforcement veteran having served as a corrections officer, police officer, and Department of Homeland Security special agent and polygraph examiner. He is currently assigned to the ICE—Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)—Headquarters as the National Firearms Program Manager. Desmond holds a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology and a Master of Arts in Homeland Defense and Security (Cohort 1501) from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). He is also one of the co-founders of HSx—an NPS think tank where he co-created a nationally recognized K-12 School Shooting Database that has been highlighted in Vice News, the BBC, the Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stones Magazine. In 2015, Desmond began working with the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) as part of his NPS thesis focused on enhancing the interviewing methodologies of OPR special agents. In addition to his role in OPR, Desmond continues to work with the HIG as an operational augmentee and interviewing instructor.

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