Training & Continuing Education (CE)
Institutional Teaching, Community Engagement & Clinical Impact
Welcome to a training space where clinical excellence meets systemic change. Dr. Rivka Edery provides advanced, trauma-responsive curricula that bridge the gap between Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) through the U-Model™ (ACT + IFS) framework.
Upcoming Live Trainings & Presentations (2026)
Strategic clinical training and international research presentations
April 10, 2026
2:00 PM ET | The U-Model™: 7-Stage Roadmap Featured Webinar Series (2 CEUs)| FMHCA Series Register: https://fmhca.wildapricot.org/event-6474354/Registration
This 2-hour webinar, presented by the U-Model's creator, Dr. Rivka Edery, equips therapists with a structured method for combining the compassionate depth of Internal Family Systems (IFS) with the behavioral vitality of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Ideal for guiding clients who possess deep self-awareness but struggle to enact lasting behavioral changes, the U-Model delivers a seven-stage roadmap from inner fragmentation to empowered, values-driven living. You'll explore how to fuse IFS's Self-leadership and parts work with ACT's core processes: acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values, and committed action.
April 17–18, 2026 | Incoherent Grief: Somatic Residue Pre-Verbal Holocaust Survivors | Jagiellonian University, Kraków | International Conference
Explore the somatic echoes and missing narratives in pre-verbal Jewish Holocaust child survivors through a trauma-informed lens. This international presentation offers clinicians and researchers rare insights into intergenerational grief, somatic residue, and pathways to coherent healing.
Register: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=j8sR-eHj70KoiAHkPCm8VL8WO_U23INDuJpqrui64X1UOUxGMDlaR0NHWk1IS1cySDkyREMyNzZBWS4u&route=shorturl
April 27, 2026 | 3:30–5:00 PM EST |
The U-Model™: ACT + IFS In Action – Practical Techniques for Clinical Application
(ACBS Social Work SIG https://contextualscience.org/).
Learning Objectives
- Execute the "Descent" using the 6 F’s to identify and befriend protective parts in a professional or systemic context.
- Facilitate the "Observer Shift" with somatic distancing techniques to create psychological space between Self and reactive parts.
- Practice Mining Heroic Intent to transform protector energy (e.g., anxiety into vigilance) as reclaimed resources.
- Design a 3-tier Scaling for Justice action plan (Micro/Self, Meso/Community, Macro/Systemic) aligned with personal and client values.
Professional Leadership
- 2026 NASW National Conference (Washington, D.C.).
- 2026 Vice President Candidate (Nominated)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) – New York State Chapter: Approved by the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification (CNLI) to run for the Chapter Vice Presidency.
- 2025 Recognition of Excellence in Social Work | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS): Awarded for clinical leadership and innovation in developing the U-Model™ framework.
- 2025 Outstanding Service Award | A Home Within: Recognized for the development of trauma-responsive CE curricula for foster youth clinicians.
- IFS Level I Trained & Program Assistant: IFS Institute.
- Psy.D. & Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Doctor of Psychology and LCSW): 16+ years expertise.
- TEAM-CBT Level 1 Certified: Feeling Good Institute.
Recurring Series & Community Engagement
Monthly Monday Fireside Group
A "living laboratory" where traditional hierarchies are softened for open dialogue on healing and parts work.
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8_08b8YgQc6Ei3Ib-K6c8Q
Join "Beyond Acceptance: Your Inner Parts Welcome to an ACT & IFS Community" on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/utKN6WT4Bgp6gAtW/
Lead CE Instructor | A Home Within
Advanced trauma-responsive curricula for clinicians serving the foster care community.
Reaching 450+ clinicians to date with specialized focus on unblending and Self-energy.
Recent Highlights and Archives
Feb 5–7, 2026 The U-Model™ in Action Integrating IFS and ACT (3 CEUs) FMHCA Annual Conference In- Person
Feb 10, 2026 | Healing through Self-Energy Advanced Unblending & Retrieval (2 CEUs) A Home Within
Jan 22, 2026:
From Exiled Burdens to Bold Justice: The U-Model’s ACT-IFS Revolution
(ACBS Social Work SIG).
Jan 13, 2026:
Mapping Internal Systems for Trauma-Bonds (A Home Within) – Part 3 of the
Untangling Hidden Tiesseries.
Dec 16, 2025:
Core Concepts of the IFS Model
(A Home Within) – Part 2 of the series (8.0 CE credits total).
Oct 21, 2025:
Foundations of Trauma-Bonding in Foster Care
(A Home Within) – Part 1 of the series.
2025:
The U-Model™ in Action: Combining IFS and ACT
(A Home Within) – 4-part intensive CE series; reached 150+ clinicians (8.0 CE credits).
2025:
The U-Model™ in Action
(NASW-NC Fall Conference) – 430+ attendees.
2024:
From Pain to Possibility: Transforming Abandonment Wounds
(A Home Within) – 4-part series on ACT principles; 200+ attendees (8.0 CE credits).
2013–2016: NAASCA Special Topic Series – Weekly trauma discussions for 500+ listeners
Accreditation:
Dr. Rivka Edery is an Approved ASWB Provider, providing credits for social workers and mental health professionals nationwide.
Bring this training to your organization.
Inquire About Keynotes & Private Workshops: Email: redery@rivkaedery.com
The U-Model™ Practitioner Certification: Now Enrolling for the Summer 2026 Cohort
The U-Model™ is a 30-hour clinical roadmap for treating complex trauma and systemic burdens.
This program provides intensive training in process-based integration, somatic release, and "Descent/Ascent" clinical stages.
Target Audience: Licensed mental health professionals (LCSWs, Psychologists, Counselors).Curriculum: 30 Live Interactive APA/CE Credits + Lifetime Access to Clinical Manuals.
Status: Early-enrollment waitlist now open (Maximum 40 clinicians per cohort).
Join the Certification Waitlist: https://forms.gle/vj1yvMZvNLogTWC4A
