Doug Smith, Professor of Social Work and Director of the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was recently featured on the topic of working with families on the Compassion in a T-Shirt podcast hosted by Dr. Stan Steindl, Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland, and Co-Director of the UQ Compassionate Mind Research Group.
In the episode, Smith discusses his 2025 book, Motivational Interviewing with Families, which reimagines how Motivational Interviewing can be applied when working with couples, parents, children, and broader family systems. The conversation explores the role of compassion and reflective listening in family work, as well as Smith’s reordering of core MI skills into the ROARS framework.
The episode offers valuable insights for social workers, psychologists, counselors, and other practitioners interested in evidence-based, compassion-focused approaches to change.