Dr. Elaine Shpungin designs and facilitates experiential workshops in Motivational Interviewing, resilience, and constructive dialogue for educators, university staff, and community organizations.

She has delivered workshops for universities, school districts, and community organizations across the United States, including the University of Illinois and the University of Texas at El Paso.

Experiential Workshops

Elaine has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of conflict and communication, and more than 15 years working with restorative practices and restorative justice (find her articles about it here).

Her workshops are interactive, experiential, and practical.

Participants engage in real-plays instead of role plays and leave with tools they can start using the same day.

Choose from one of her popular series (below) or work with Elaine to design a workshop that meets your current needs.

RESILIENCE SERIES

Increase your ability to withstand stress and bounce back from difficult times. This multi-session series uses take-home “challenges” and small group discussions to create change in one or more of the four pillars of resilience.

  • PURPOSE

    Connect to your why for being and begin to make choices that are more purposeful and less reactive.

  • PEOPLE

    Bring more supportive and uplifting people into your life, slowly moving away from those who drain you.

  • PRACTICES

    Explore simple practices that improve resilience through movement, mindfulness, and meaning-making.

  • POSSIBILITY

    Increase your sense of hope, optimism, and curiosity as a way to counter the despair and negativity around us.

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING SERIES

Improve you ability to motivate and support behavioral change in people who are ambivalent or struggling to make a shift. This multi-session series uses hands-on activities and live coaching to enhance learning and increase skills.

  • REAL-PLAYS, NOT ROLE PLAYS

    Participants learn MI skills by experiencing the impact of OARS and other MI tools applied to a behavioral change they want to make. Examples from previous participants include desiring to exercise more, eat out less, or quit a volunteer position.

  • GAMES, NOT LECTURES

    Learning and fun are enhanced through games such as Motivational Supervillains, where participants get to interact with characters like Captain Know-It-All and Professor Doom, or Motivational Dating Game, where Bachelor #1 can only affirm and Bachelorette #2 can only ask open ended questions.

  • WORKING, NOT WATCHING

    Participants go beyond observing “ideal interactions” by practicing and receiving live coaching in every session. They see the immediate impact of their MI communications on others, learning from the instructor and each other.

SAMPLE CLIENTS

LEADERSHIP and EXECUTIVE COACHING

Elaine also offers confidential sessions to administrators, directors, and leaders — focused on evidence-based strategies and collaborative problem solving — based on her decades of experience with conflict, communication, and leadership.

Donna Kaufman, Assistant Superintendent to ROE 9

“As a leadership coach, Elaine both supports and challenges my thinking.

She helps me work through tough issues (often around conflict), helping me align with my core values.

She asks the right questions and gives feedback without judgment, allowing me to understand a situation more clearly.

Elaine has also partnered with me to create stronger systems within my organization.

Whether it is through executive coaching, offering trainings to my team, or facilitating dialogue, I can rely on Elaine to get our organization to the next step.”

- Donna Kaufman, Assistant Superintendent to Regional Office of Education 9

“Elaine’s consultation and coaching played a critical role in cultivating and deepening my leadership skills.

Elaine was intentional in developing tailored and strategic consultation, and in doing so, provided meaningful and goal oriented outcomes.

She incorporates research and best practices into her consultation, and at the same time, coached me to use my personal strengths in practicing new skills.

Because of this, I was able to stay true to myself, yet grow in my leadership role.”

- Lyndsey Trout, MSW Field Director, Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Education at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

(former Director of Champaign Unit 4 ACTIONS Alternative Education program)

MEDIA APPEARANCES

  • Raising Parents: The Parenting Science Podcast

  • Restorative Justice on the Rise with Molly Leach

  • WEFT 90.1 Public Radio "In the Know" Program

  • WCIA Channel 3 News (Central Illinois)

  • Access Live Radio with Imani Bazzelll

  • Unitive Justice with Sylvia Clute

Contact Elaine for a Free Initial Consult