Brian Borsari, PhD

Brian Borsari received his PhD in clinical psychology from Syracuse University in 2003, completed a psychology internship at the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University. Dr. Borsari joined the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in 2007. Since 2015, Dr. Borsari has been a Psychologist Clinician Researcher at the San Francisco VA Health Care System and is also Professor in Residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He has published over 200 research articles and his research program has been continuously funded for the past 25 years. His research interests include the assessment and treatment of addictive behaviors, training VA staff in motivational interviewing and other client-centered communication to facilitate behavior change, the development and implementation of brief motivational interventions addressing a variety of behaviors in a number of different populations, development and evaluation of interventions using mobile technology, and in-session processes of motivational interviewing that are related to behavior change.

Using Motivational Interviewing to Discuss Substance Use – Evoking and Planning

Learn how to move conversations about substance use from uncertainty to action. In this practical, skill-building session, Dr. Borsari will demonstrate how to:

• Recognize and respond to patient language around change
• Elicit and strengthen intrinsic motivation to reduce substance use
• Collaboratively develop a personalized, actionable change plan

This session is ideal for healthcare professionals seeking evidence-based communication strategies to support patients navigating substance use challenges.