Boost Your Clinical Expertise with The Ferentz Institute

Thank you for teaching me how to be a better trauma informed therapist. I have learned valuable techniques and ideas on how to approach the traumatic events that my clients experience. I enjoyed that classes were interactive, and that Lisa was willing to share her successes as well as challenges with clients.

Great information with experiential exercises. I really enjoyed connecting with the other participants.

Although I recently attended another CEU about IFS (internal family systems) therapy, I did not hesitate to attend [Using Expressive Modalities to Connect With and Soothe Traumatized Parts] as I knew she would add depth and knowledge to the subject. I was not disappointed, and I was happy to gain insights that have helped me personally and professionally.

Denise's material was informative, and she provided relevant examples.

The trainer [Lisa] was very knowledgeable and also engaging.

Great resource provided by a gifted teacher & clinician.

Level II was an enriching experience that provided a strong foundation to and added an immense yet digestible and applicable amount of knowledge in which to feel confident and comfortable in stepping foot into private practice as a new LCSW.

Peggy clearly loves her work, and her knowledge base is so very deep.

I learned so much in this program. Lisa is so knowledgeable and understanding. There is so much time to connect with other clinicians and share different techniques.

I had the privilege of witnessing one of my clients become fully integrated recently thanks to Lisa's DID trainings. My client reports feeling strong and calm for the first time in over fifty years. Lisa's classes were absolutely instrumental in allowing me to feel competent enough to work with this client and my other DID clients.

The facilitator [Joanne] was very warm and engaging. She encouraged each person to bring a piece of themselves into the workshop [Screenplay: Helping Parents Teach and Reach Children in the Digital Age].

Heidi brought her strong background in grief work and helped create not only a training but an experience on furthering the depth of my understanding of grief. There were practical exercises and interactive strategies to help engage participants virtually. Highly recommend!

This training has made me realize who I am as a therapist! I have learned so much and I see a huge difference in how I work with my clients. Thank you!

Dr. N'Diaye brings warmth and expertise to this training. She inspires, models, and teaches effective technique within a well developed theoretical frame.

I really appreciated Lisa's openness to all feedback and questions.

I loved her [Denise's] knowledge, understanding & ability to communicate with the audience. Her passion was demonstrated by her presentation.

Lisa's offers her expertise in a style that invites the learner into the learning experience in a way that is open and supportive.

Susan was very knowledgeable, shared her own experiences, shared a little about herself, approachable, very authentic, obviously loves what she's doing.

Authentic, clinical use of self and how she incorporated theroy with realistic strategies you can use.

Mr. Ferentz had an excellent grasp of current information in the field and shared both the theory and practice. He included the whole group in his presentation.

Susan was very knowledgeable and personable - a good combination!

This program boosted my confidence and confidence as a therapist a TON. The information is so well organized and presented. Lisa is inspiring, motivating, and grounding all at once.

There's no way you can leave a class you taught, Lisa, without learning new strategies and examples of how to encourage others.

Lisa was an empathic, normalizing, supportive and experienced facilitator.

What a powerful comprehensive training! Lisa does a phenomenal job thoughtfully addressing multiple aspects of trauma-informed work with clients along with consistently providing specific, concrete practical applications. Her expertise and talent in communication provided me a solid foundation and that will enhance my work with clients. I'm grateful for the experience. Thank you!

I would love Father Ray to know that he was an absolute joy. Im sitting here smiling and almost tearful as I write this. From his enthusiasm, smiles, humor to his courages and beautiful empathy and compassion.. he was truly a joy. It was clear that he truly loves what he does and is so beyond skilled at it. The compassion he exudes is truly inspiring. Thank you Father Ray!

I really appreciated Sabrina's authenticity as well as her ability to have participants explore traits about themselves that can be used as unique gifts as supervisors. She has amazing energy and insight!

Overall, I would rate this workshop very highly. I loved the experiential components... I did come away from the workshop with a better understanding of IFS and a number of tools I can use immediately in my practice.

Once again, Lisa facilitated a top notch and very relevant seminar [with Trauma Informed Assessment and Treatment: Ethical Considerations]. The presentation was very engaging and time flew by quickly.

Denise is very articulate and personable. She presented a very well organized and informative training. Thank you!

She's just wonderful - authentic, experienced and clearly cares a lot about everyone she works with (including us!)

Enjoyed the energy, enthusiasm, knowledge that Dr. Evans shared about a complex and potentially transformative therapeutic tool. Thanks for offering this to our community.

I'm benefitting greatly from the way Lisa presents information - a strong reasearch-based foundation combined with numerous practical applications. Thank you.

This program should be a part of every clinician's repertoire. The compassion and knowledge Lisa has is invaluable and I am confident I am a better clinician because of this training and the investment in myself and clients.

She [Susan] provided great ideas and suggestions given her expertise... it felt safe to ask questions, learn, and even be wrong because she was supportive and warm.

I loved [Salicia's] her accessibility. I was able to ask questions and make comments throughout the talk. I appreciated that the size was small and intimate, that was truly a bonus!

I honestly don't have the words to quantify how much I love and appreciate every minute of the Level 1 & 2 Trauma Training Program. The impact on both my personal and professional life have been profound. I wish the experience for every person called to a helping profession. I will always regard Lisa with gratitude for providing this opportunity.

Lisa's training has been one of the most meaningful experiences in my career. Lisa is engaging and makes material easy to process. She is warm, validating, direct and clear. I left each session feeling more resourced, with concrete interventions and a new appreciation for my role as a therapist as well as for my clients.

Lisa is smart, capable, decisive, caring and is a great example of asserting boundaries and values kindly.

Susan was very human and approachable.

The Trauma Informed Treatment, Ethical considerations workshop was interesting, clear, informative and useful throughout. Lisa's authenticity is refreshing, her genuine dedication and advocacy for both the client and practitioner are unparalleled. I am glad I had the chance to attend this unique workshop.

The workshop was so valuable in that it provided me with an expanded scope of practice and concrete techniques to use in addressing difficult subjects with clients. Lisa is such an engaging and knowledgeable presenter and weaves in relevant examples from her own practice, which helps highlight the practical applications of the material.

Lisa was wonderful - as always. Her ability to retain engagement for 8 hours is a true talent and skill! So much gratitude for her expertise and skills to educate.

Lisa's trainings are enlightening and engaging. [Ethical Dilemmas in Clinical Practice] included a good amount of discussion with the other clinicians attending which offers opportunities to learn from the other attendees as well as the speakers.

I found that the online format was an excellent way to attend the program, no stress, no travel, great timing of information and breaks. I felt that it worked wonderfully. Thank you so much for your knowledge, your insights, your delivery and your absolute Unconditional Positive Regard!!

A wonderful experience. This will certainly enhance my skills in working with traumatized children.

Lisa is a dynamic speaker and seasoned therapist and she is able to cover difficult material in a way that is easy to follow.

This was by far the best training I have attended. I learned that I was actually doing a lot correctly, but also learned a lot of things I could be doing. I look forward to Level II!

I loved the ideas for enriching supervision to encompass holistic well being.

Level II helped deepen my understanding of trauma and parts work. Each class provided an opportunity to learn creative, expressive approaches that clinicians can immediately put into practice. Lisa and her faculty provided a supportive learning environment and I enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with other clinicians.

I feel more alive in my practice that I ever have. Digging in and learning has been rejuvenating. Feeling like I am aware of the latest trauma research has made me look at my practice with “new eyes.” I can't imagine working with eating disordered clients without what I have learned.

Susan was incredibly engaging and knowledgeable about anxiety and OCD disorders. I normally dislike group activities but these made sense and were fun!

Robyn was a stellar presenter [for Master Class – Case Consultation: Treating Post-Partum Mood Disorders Through a Trauma Lens] and it is the rare workshop when I can say just one day later the material has changed my approach to cases and enhanced the array of techniques. I highly recommend her as a presenter and would certainly attend future workshops with her.

I cannot adequately express how much I gained from Lisa's training. I am tuned into my clients on a much deeper level, always mindful of safety, attunement, body language, and their ability to be fully present in session. Lisa is a very generous teacher as well. I encourage other clinicians to take the trauma training, it will give you so many new tools to help your clients.

Dr. Papernow is passionate about her subject, [provides] evidence-based research, [is] well-organized, very relational and responsive.

Lisa is warm, knowledgeable, dynamic, and engaging. She�s pretty funny too!

TJ was very genuine and down to earth.

This training has truly changed my practice in the way I view both the students and my colleagues in my school. I have completely redesigned the school counselor office lighting to create a warmer more welcoming environment. I look at my most difficult students through a different lens, often picturing them as babies in the trauma he must've endured. I am a patient, more attentive and excited to use the myriad of strategies thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[Trauma Informed Collage Methods] greatly refreshed my knowledge as an art therapist, but perhaps more importantly, I recognized the value of collage in working with difficult to reach populations. While the collage experiencials we completed were fun and relaxing, in a new way I could more confidently apply the powerful intuitive processes of collage with people who have lost everything.

I got so much out of this training! and the case studies really helped things come to life. The only problem was there was so much information, I found it hard to integrate everything!

If you're fortunate enough to attend this training I highly recommend doing so. The financial and time commitment pales in comparison to the value of experiences and knowledge gained throughout this program. It really was wonderful and I feel like it provided opportunity for both professional and personal growth.

Timothy provided a safe and open space to learn and grow together!

Sabrina was so warm and open that I did not feel I was in a role of just teacher and student, but in a place where I am learning from a place as peer seeking wisdom from more advanced peer who is also always in a place of learning and growth.

Dr. Evans was well prepared and kept my attention from start to end. The information that I received and the knowledge that I gained was life changing.

Wow. What better way to learn about healing leadership than by witnessing it and being healed by it throughout the workshop? I feel so much gratitude to Sabrina for modeling what healing leadership looks like, and giving so freely of her wisdom so that we may continue to share with others. I am blown away.

[I especially liked] Dr. Evan's incredible breadth and depth of knowledge; and, his ability to use familiar stories as examples.

This training was helpful for seasoned as well as novice supervisors. Provided the opportunity for both groups to engage and discuss their experiences to solidify learning from each other.

The materials were comprehensive and easy to follow. The instruction style was engaging and supportive.

It's rare that a workshop grabs my attention and holds it from start to finish. [Trauma Informed Collage Methods was] Informative and engaging!

Jonah was knowledgeable, engaged, responsive, and modeled strengths-based language and teaching. He did really well responding to chatbox comments immediately and respectfully.

The Level 1 training was invaluable to my journey of providing trauma informed therapy and doing deeper work with clients. I recommend new and older clinicians to invest in this program to inform, and to re-spark passion for the very important and sensitive work that we do.

I really enjoyed the case examples and breakout groups and her lived experience.

Had a great time [at Filling Your Experiential Toolbox: The Empty Chair, The Double and Role Play Techniques]. Very informative. Loved the facilitator!

Sabrina is a force to be reckoned with! She is inspirational, encouraging, and truly cares about this work! Sabrina took the time to get to know each and every one of us in her class, to hear our responses, and respond with care and curiosity. It was a pleasure to learn from her and I look forward to building on my skills based off of what I took from the past couple of days! Thank you!

[Working with Dreams: Tapping into an Inner Wisdom] was highly interactive and engaging. It was a true, in-person, demonstration of how dream work can be a useful took in therapy.

I enjoyed the presenters [in Individualizing Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Complex Trauma and Dissociation]; they were engaging, informative, current, and had a perspective which I believe broadened my own. They offered breakfast, snacks, and all day coffee. What could be better than being nurtured and informed!

This program has completely transformed my clinical practice. Using the skills and knowledge I gained through this program has benefited my clients, and makes me a more confident, competent clinician. I recommend this program to all of my colleagues!

This ethics workshop was awesome! It allowed for so much time to ask questions and explore concerns that attendees currently had. Lisa made it interesting and engaging.

Denise is a true expert in issues related to trauma and addiction and has a great way of sharing her knowledge as a presenter.

The entire program was interesting and thought-provoking. It is change the way I work with all my clients no matter what issues they present with. I wish a class of this nature had been part of my graduate program back in the day. Lisa presented the material same fashion she encourages us with clients. I plan to take Level II.

I appreciated the smaller group size which allowed for excellent group discussion. The presenter was very knowledgeable about the subject and had excellent real world examples to share. Very worthwhile and helpful training!

Dr. Papernow was awesome! Used dialogue the whole training that modeled appropriate use of the teachings in our practices.

Dr. Evans was a wonderful and inspirational education and practitioner. His authenticity created a safe space and allowed for an environment that we could really experience our time with him.

The presenter.is clear, organized, thoughtful, and sensitive to the needs of the participants.

Dr. Carter was very passionate about the material he was teaching and seemed genuinely happy to take questions and talk with participants which helped more people open up.

She [Sabrina] was down to earth, knowledgeable, affirming, inspiring and open.

Lisa was real and well informed! Not stuffy and smart, but Sassy and Smart! Thank you!

Lisa Ferentz is very knowledgeable and a great teacher and presenter. She was very warm and welcoming. The class itself was very informational and very organized. I recommend this class to every clinician. Thanks Lisa!

Dr. Evans was a wonderful and inspirational education and practitioner. His authenticity created a safe space and allowed for an environment where we could really experience our time with him.

This was a phenomenal training which helped me develop significant personal and professional insights. I left every session feeling energized and excited about sharing new ideas and approaches with clients. Being in a room with Lisa and so many other therapists has been an incredibly normalizing, reassuring and encouraging space. Lisa has been a consistent model of compassion and client-centered care throughout and I can't wait to learn from her again in the future.

Lisa has vast and commendable command in the subject area. Awesome!!

[Staying Within the Window of Tolerance] was one of the best workshops I have attended. The Ferentz Institute consistently provides talented, experienced, engaging speakers, who track the newest innovations in their fields, within a very welcoming, comfortable milieu.

Sabrina has such a fun, engaging, and therapeutic presence during the training! She integrates self-reflection and challenges us to grow!

She [Susan] connects with her audience with warmth and humor.

Lisa is a fantastic presenter. Knowledgeable, charismatic, and friendly!

Patricia Papernow is clearly knowledgeable in "blended families" and it felt like she was very excited to share her knowledge and happy to answer any questions. I didn't feel like I was being lectured but encouraged to ask questions and get involved. I felt like I took a lot a way without feeling overwhelmed by the information provided. Also, I was given resources that I was encouraged to share with other clinicians or clients, which I don't feel I often get in a training (usually I feel like I given resources that are mostly applicable to clinicians). Amazing workshop!

I really valued [Understanding and Working with Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB)]. Lisa allowed me to more fully understand that my challenging clients are not trying to be resistant or difficult but are struggling with trauma and deeply ingrained, albeit ineffective coping mechanisms. Lisa also supported and solidified for me, what I had already been mulling over — that restructuring our treatment model for high risk and chronic relapsing individuals (substance use) to incorporate more skills training.

Patricia Papernow is very clear, her presence and engagement with participants is natural; she creates safety, invites questions and feedback, makes room for questions along the way, is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the content. Supportive of sharing handouts with other clinicians, and includes handouts to give to clients. Amazing amount of resources given to us. Thank YOU!

Lisa is always incredible - you learn from minute one to the end of the day. She's engaging, funny and breaks down the concepts in such an accessible way.

I am walking away from this program feeling more confident in my abilities and role as a clinician, but I've learned so much about myself that will enhance both my personal and professional successes. Thank you, Lisa!