Table 4.

Themes and quotes from qualitative focus groups.

Theme		Quote
Characteristics of the Course Structure
Unique Course	Safe Environment	… unique course in the sense that right from the get-go, it felt like a very safe learning environment. I think other courses that I feel it you go into, and it feels very intimidating, and it kind of continues that way the whole time, whereas with this course, with M&T meeting and it kind of continues that way the whole time whereas with this course with M&T meeting it I think the way that you approached it, and kind of said right off from the get go that, you know we're not being judged any. Everybody's learning here, and it's it's safe. I think that was very valuable and also unique to the learning (Al) I do think it's I do think it's nice to know, like, when you're going in that, that everybody is a licensed help care professional. And I think that helps the course I don't know how to say this in a good way, but it's efficient that way, too. Right. I mean everybody, even though you have different professions, like everybody, speaks common language and has some common experiences that they're bringing to the table (RO) And that's what I really liked about this course that it wasn't all just, you know, reading our articles. And your writing stuff, that the practical sessions were most beneficial. (CD) … the big difference with this [course] is that we do have that timeframe to kind of practice those skills in between and that it really kept it a lot more fresh in our mind … (Kr) I think I remember you saying maybe the first class or really early on about how you know so many of us attended like conferences and things, and we take in that information, and maybe for the week after we implement it. But then you know all the great resources and things we've taken in get shoved in a binder under, you know the desk or somewhere, never to be looked at again, and and the big difference with this is that we do have that timeframe to kind of practice those skills in between and that it really kept it a lot more fresh in our mind versus just yeah (Kr)
	Community Of Professionals
	Opportunity For Corrective Feedback
Course Structure	Awareness, Competence, Confidence	And then when we went to the second part, where the group was teaching back, I have to say, I wanna go in and save the slides, because what I would like to do is match up and watch you and T (M&T), teach and I got a lot from that. And then I found it. It really grounded. It made things make even more sense to me when it was taught by the group. So I want to put those sessions together and watch them back to back with each learning skill, and doing it again to get everything refreshed in my mind again. I found that the group presentations really, really dug in more and really help me really understand things as much as I dreaded doing ours (Ta) Yeah, I think when at the beginning of the course, when we first talked about how we'd be going over the same content, but in different ways, you know, 3 times initially, I thought, you know, like, Oh, it's just gonna feel repetitive. But it definitely didn't feel repetitive at all, and it it very much was essential to the making. The course effective. Because I think with most courses they would just end after the awareness stage. And now, after being through all the 3 stages, I know that like, I wouldn't have gotten as much out of it if we had just stopped there. You know that all of our learning, and being able to build upon everything really happened in those last 2 stages. So I think the way it was set up was great (Al) I think, as a learner, I was really intrigued when you said in the very first day we're going to be repeating all of this like we're done. We're just going to do the same thing over again. And then the second time through, was slower and more intensive, and I found it very, very useful that we had to be the ones to present it the third time around. I think for me as a learner, the way that I remember best is to practice more than once, and to say it out loud and teach someone else (Ca) Yeah, I think that maybe that I really really like the structure of how it was repeated 3 times (KH) … really appreciate that, especially as adults, you know, we know that most of us need to hear things more than once. To, you know, grasp it, to understand it, and it really progressed one step on top of the other on top of the other. And I think you know kind of, I think AA was the one mentioning about the confidence sessions, and it just really like you really have to dig and to be able to teach it back. You really have to understand it yourself. So I think the process was really good (SF)
	Repetition and Relevance
Initial Discomfort		… you know, when I found out that I was accepted to take the program, I kept thinking like I was intimidated thinking maybe I shouldn't be doing this, you know, maybe I'm not prepared for it. And then I had to remind myself, well, I've been working in healthcare for over 16 years, but it was sort of reminding myself that I'm taking this course to learn more. It's you know. Everybody was coming to this course, not really knowing what to expect, and we're all here for the same reason. So I think that opening of this it's gonna be awkward, you know. I think that really helped to kind of calm my nerves a little bit, that we were all feeling the same way. We were all kind of in the same boat. We were all gonna be going through that same awkward clunkiness together, and I think this was unlike any course that I've ever taken. Where it is that typical didactic or self directed learning. But I think that was probably the most valuable, and the most important part of it was being able to practice these skills. Because this isn't really just about knowledge, you know, absorption and regurgitation. It was really that skill that was learned (Ke). And I would say it was so helpful to be uncomfortable, cause I think it's required to change, to try something new, and it was really a safe space to be able to do that, to get the feedback. (SF)
Value of Role Play and Corrective Feedback		And I would say it was so helpful to be uncomfortable, cause I think it's required to change, to try something new, and it was really a safe space to be able to do that, to get the feedback. (SF) And and just being able to be with the same partner to for role plays each week like they felt a lot different the first week where BLANK is my partner. So she was a complete stranger to me. Week one versus as we got you know, certainly halfway through, and then I'm you know, learning about our family like we're learning all kinds of things, and just much more comfortable conversation. And and I think you felt more comfortable to kind of mess up or try something new, and just to get that feedback and appreciate the feedback even from, you know, our partners viewpoint as well. So yeah, it just made it quite a quite a difference to have that opportunity to practice, as particularly as a group in the class form (Kr)
FOCUS ON MINDMAP
Beneficial		I think that because a lot of us are coming into this with not a lot of experience in counselling and and behaviorism, that the mind map was incredibly helpful. Right? Because you know, if you don't have any kind of the when you're learning something new, you do kind of need to create a structure to rely upon right in in your mind. And so I thought the mind map was fantastic (RO) The mind map is also a great tool to go back, you know, as we work towards master, because we're gonna talk to patients or clients. And you know, even still, now, we're gonna get stuck we're gonna get to a point. We're gonna hang up the phone or leave the appointment, and think I got stuck. I didn't know where to go, so it'll be a great tool to go back. (DB) … I'm kind of stuck down this road, and I don't know how to get out. I feel like it's a dead end. And the mind map really helped me. Just you know. Listen to my automatic thoughts at the time, you know. Watch them, and then kind of pull myself gently back to the mind map. You got this, off we go (RO) I think for me is maybe that it isn't always linear. And often, maybe isn't right forward, and then it might go back. And then it might jump to somewhere else. So I think it's like a general overview. The mind map was really helpful. But then, learning how to jump, that's something I'm gonna have to keep practicing. Of how to go from one step to another without that linear process. (SF)
Reflections on Interdisciplinary Care
		So my perceived benefit is a future hypothetical situation. But I have had a few complex cases over the years where I have tried to collaborate with BBB, and they've just said, “Well, if they're not doing what you tell them, then you should just discharge”, and those conversations have always stopped me in my tracks, because that wasn't my intention and then I never knew where to go next, so I feel a little bit better equipped now to have a conversation with BBB about how to proceed with that patient's care without discharging, so I mean I I'd like to think that conversation will never happen again, but when it does, I feel like I have some tools now. (Ca) … when there's somebody in red light, I know what to do … I don't feel like, Okay, where do I go from here? Now I actually feel like I know where to go. (DB) Understanding more about the patient's perspective and collaborating, because so much of it is, there's a little bit of medicine, but although most of its behavior change, and and with the CCC that I'm working with just made it a whole lot more rich to get on a call together talk about things, bounce ideas off each other, and it it creates this kind of framework for a lot of meaningful, meaningful dialogue, and it makes it fun. (MM) I find that I'm actually really enthusiastic to tell all of my dietitian colleagues about it, because we've quite big team. So I've now volunteered to update our obesity care plan, and I'm hoping to include some of the concepts in it (KH) I'd say I think obesity, like other chronic diseases, but especially obesity with the bias, is a team sport, and this kind of knowledge base helps me kinda see what that team could look like or what a program could look like to have a common language and so I mentioned earlier in the obesity guidelines. The 3 pillars that that behavior change is always put out there. But I don't think most people reading it. Know much about what it means. Certainly, for me was a black box and kind of opening that up and understanding it better, and understanding the principles and skills that other team members, I think, should essentially have. So that we're really are on the same page and working together that's been really key. So I think it. That's kind of the beginning of a foundation for for making a bigger shift in healthcare. (MM)
General Course Feedback
		Yeah, I think when some of the opening lecture about moving from an expert to a collaborator, I agree that as teachers, you both M&T became collaborators right from the beginning, in terms of our learning experience, so it did feel like rather rather than you both being experts. which you are you. It felt like a partnership, and that I think, did create that safe environment for us to take risks and see how things go. (MM) At the beginning I felt extremely overwhelmed. I felt that I was possibly way in over my head. A lot of the language, although I've had some training, was very, very new to me, and I wasn't really sure what it was about. But with the non-judgmental interactions it allowed me to stay engaged in this relationship. (DB) There we go. So you know, I think (M&T) have this goal of not just teaching us these skills, but actual, like cultural change within the practice. And you guys provided so much encouragement to us to make us feel competent in doing that within our own circles. And as you're maybe like expanding and having other people teach it, I think that will be a really part. That's maybe important to formalize, because I can see it may be getting lost. If you had other instructors. (SC) I just to add on that piece, I do feel that you both made it feel very comfortable to makes mistakes, and I think that's really important as part of this, you know, with all the role plays that took place. It wasn't like, you know, you know, normalized. The fact that this is hard even for us to do right. So I think that was really helpful for us to be able to be uncomfortable with that (SF)