Sharone Abramowitz MD, FASAM

Founder, lead trainer, consultant

 Sharone spent over 2 decades as the behavioral & addiction medicine director for a primary care residency that worked with the underserved. There she developed one of the first 3 year motivational interviewing (MI) curriculum and the nation's first premedical student health coach program. She has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers since 2002 and has taught MI, SBIRT, and other behavioral health and addiction topics to numerous academic and community health organizations. She has a private practice in integrative psychiatry, psychotherapy & addiction medicine, and is an integrative medicine fellow and faculty member. She has chaired and planned major national conferences, reviews for academic journals, and has authored papers. In her free time, Sharone loves to cycle, weight train, cook, do yoga and meditate.

Karena Franses LCSW

Lead trainer, co-trainer

 Karena has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers since 2002 and, along with Sharone, trained with Drs. William Miller & Theresa Moyers, MI's founder and lead researchers. She spent many years as the lead social worker for the nation's premier HIV clinic at San Francisco General Hospital. She has taught MI to numerous academic and community health organizations.  She also trained at the Royal Academy of Drama and brings a fun, dramatic flair to her trainings. In her free time, Karena enjoys hiking and cycling. She is a devoted Zen practitioner.

Ginny Pizzardi MFT

Assistant trainer

Ginny brings a warmth and passionate engagement to the trainings. Her many years of experience as an individual, family and couples psychotherapist shows in her sharp psychological acumen. Ginny authored 2 books: Lessons in Loss & From Lost to Found. She has also taught college psychology courses & workshops. In her free time, Ginny plays the ukulele, cycles and weight trains.