Therapists’ ability to build strong therapeutic alliances is essential to patients’ self-confidence and motivation for change. Therapists who trust their own alliance competence also improve their professional and personal satisfaction. Enhancing competence in alliance development contributes positively to the patients’ and therapists’ mental health, and ought to be a priority in mental health work. This study examines whether acquiring Motivational Interviewing education affect therapists’ own confidence in their ability to build therapeutic alliances. The study employs the questionnaire Working Alliance Inventory – short version (WAI-s) and a semi-structured interview in a triangulated mixed method design. The results show that training in Motivational Interviewing can help therapists feel more competent in their role as mental health professionals and more confident in their ability to establish therapeutic alliances.