By Matthew Biddle
“Hi friends, let’s talk about DARN-CAT,” Justine O’Brien, MSW ’23, says to the camera.
“And, no, I don’t mean these darn cats,” she continues, the view switching to show two adorable felines swatting at each other.
Welcome to the TikTok channel O’Brien created for her field education site, Sage Training and Consulting. During this video, she educates viewers – more than 1,500 and counting – on an approach counselors can use with motivational interviewing to elicit change talk from their clients.
“The letters in DARN-CAT stand for different types of change talk: desire, ability, reason, need, commitment, actuation and taking steps,” O’Brien explains.
With a focus on motivational interviewing (MI), Sage Training and Consulting is co-owned by Todd and Melanie Sage, current and former School of Social Work faculty members, respectively. O’Brien chose the firm for her advanced year field placement both because of the support she received from Todd during the MSW program, as well as her expertise with using MI as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC).
“Motivational interviewing can be used in so many different settings,” O’Brien says. “We’re asking the client to be in charge of creating their goals, with us there to guide them with open-ended questions and reflections. MI empowers people and gives them the autonomy to find their own motivation for change.”
@sagetimi 5 Guiding Principles of Trauma Informed Care #therapy #motivationalinterviewing #growth #change #traumainformed #timi #motivation #socialwork #goals #therapist #counselor #mentalhealth #addiction #childwelfare ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono - moshimo sound design
The idea for a TikTok channel came from O’Brien’s personal obsession with the platform, as well as a desire to spread awareness about the firm’s services and MI more broadly.
“We wanted to help other social workers and not be gatekeepers for this information,” O’Brien says. “We all have knowledge that’s important to share and an ethical responsibility to give back to our community.”
In three months, O’Brien recorded about 50 videos on various aspects of MI, as well as subjects like self-care, breaking down stigma and decolonizing social work. All are packed with information, while a few tap into viral trends and pop culture, with music from Snoop Dogg and an appearance from Darth Vader. In total, O’Brien’s TikToks for the company have amassed roughly 23,000 views.
After wrapping up her fieldwork and completing her MSW, O’Brien stayed on at Sage Training and Consulting as a motivational interviewing trainer; for one contract, she’s training child welfare workers across Virginia to use MI in their work. She also teaches “Addiction and the Family” as an adjunct instructor for the School of Social Work.
O’Brien says her passion for helping others stems from her own lived experiences, witnessing mental health struggles and addiction in her family.
“Because of what I've been through, I always knew that I could use that as a way to help and relate to others,” she says. “My experiences have made me a stronger social worker.”
