Experiential Motivational Interviewing: An Action-Oriented Way of Being

Since 2004 Marc Pimsler has worked in a variety of counseling and consulting capacities. Marc is as passionate about doing clinical work as he is counselor education and supervision. Marc maintains a private practice where he serves individuals and families in need, specializing in addressing addiction, shame, and trauma. Marc was the 2010 Georgia new counselor of the year for the Georgia Addiction Counselor Association and has been recently inducted into the 2017 National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program—focused in Addictions. Marc is proud to serve the field as the ethics committee chair for the Georgia Addiction Counselor Association. He is certified as a national addictions counselor, certified clinical supervisor, certified yoga and meditation teacher, and is also a certified practitioner with the Institute for Rapid Resolution Therapy. Marc has been intensely trained in experiential therapy as well as psychodrama. Marc is currently working on his Doctoral degree focused on counselor education and supervision. Marc is passionate about recovery, both his own as well as his clients’, believing that sometimes all we need is a helping hand and a fresh perspective. Grounded in the belief system that everyone has the capacity to recover, Marc brings humor, spirituality, and creativity to everything he is involved in. 

Matt McKenzie began his career as a primary counselor at the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s public psychiatric sector, while receiving his Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. While focusing on graduate studies, Matt took a study abroad trip with Dr. Lawrence Tyson and was made aware of the style of adventure-based counseling at that time. Matt later joined Bradford Health Services (BHS) in 2016 and under the tutelage of Dr. Adam Downs, Matt became a part of a team (w/Billy Vevle, Jon Tyler, and Sara Lovelady) that laid the groundwork for a pioneering Emerging Adult Program. Matt’s journey with experiential counseling modalities with emerging adults led to him to see the ways experiential modalities place the member in the here-and-now. In 2018, Matt became officially certified as a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). He accredits his MI expertise to Dr. Stephen Hebard (Member of MINT), Dr. Elizabeth Graves (Member of MINT), and his long-time colleague Joan Leary. This expertise certification afforded him with the honored opportunity to serve as a Director of Therapeutic Training Interventions at Bradford Health Services. With the support of Chief Executive Officer, Mike Rickman, Matt has been able to experience both clinicians and patients to witness the positive outcomes when experiential modalities and motivational interviewing are combined.