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 27, 2026 | 3:30–5:00 PM EST | FREE

U-Model™ Deep Dive – Techniques in Action

(An ACBS Social Work SIG Sponsored Event. https://contextualscience.org/).

Learning Objectives

1. Execute the "Descent" using the 6 F’s to identify and befriend protective parts in a professional or systemic context.
2. Facilitate the "Observer Shift" with somatic distancing techniques to create psychological space between Self and reactive parts.
3. Practice Mining Heroic Intent to transform protector energy (e.g., anxiety into vigilance) as reclaimed resources.
4. Design a 3-tier Scaling for Justice action plan (Micro/Self, Meso/Community, Macro/Systemic) aligned with personal and client values.

Zoom Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/BBelDCjXQF23GS7Nvlzzdg#/registration

Target Audience: Mental health professionals, coaches, and social justice leaders. And the Curious 🙂

Why do some clients remain anchored in self-sabotage despite having deep insight? Often, it is because they have formed a ‘fantasy bond’ (Firestone, 1987)

with their protectors - an illusory sense of safety that creates profound resistance to psychological flexibility.

When a client is fused with this bond, they aren't just "stuck"; they are loyal to a defense mechanism they believe is keeping them alive. To move forward, we must go beyond acceptance and into the alchemy of transformation.

The U-Model™ Journey: From Survival Defenses to Heroic Intent

Join Rivka Edery, Psy.D., L.C.S.W., M-RAS, IFS Level I to master a clinical toolkit that bridges the somatic internal work of IFS with the values-based action of ACT.

Phase 1: The Descent | Dissolving the Fantasy Bond

Move beyond breaking bonds to providing parts with Self-led security. Using the 6 F’s, we witness the "imaginary safety" of protectors and facilitate a compassionate uncoupling.

Phase 2: The Observer Shift | Establishing Self-Leadership

Develop somatic distancing techniques to create the psychological space necessary for a stable, clear Self-leadership to emerge.

Phase 3: The Ascent | Mining Heroic Intent

Transform hyper-vigilance and reactivity into purposeful, values-based Heroic Intent, scaling impact across:

1) Micro: Personal healing and internal alignment.

2) Meso: Interpersonal relationships and community.

3) Macro: Systemic impact and justice-oriented advocacy.

About the Presenter

Rivka Edery, Psy.D., L.C.S.W. is a Somatic and Trauma Specialist and the author of Between Self and Parts: A 30-Day Journey with The U-Model™ (2025). Her work focuses on helping professionals move from internal fragmentation to embodied, values-driven leadership.

Learn more: www.rivkaedery.com

OFFICIAL DISCLOSURES 

Partnership:

This presentation is a Social Work SIG Sponsored Event offered in partnership with the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS).

Disclosure Statement: Rivka Edery, Psy.D., L.C.S.W. has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or commercial interests related to this educational activity, nor any other conflicts of interest (financial or otherwise) with the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), its affiliates, or any products/services referenced.

"Offer the part a more courageous way to be safe - by offering it Self."

See you soon! ❤️

Rivka 

The U-Model™: Integrating IFS and ACT for Clinical Application

Monday, May 4th, 2026  TIME:  12:30 PM - 1:30PM  ET

A NASW Florida Sponsored event.

Register here:  https://naswinstitute.inreachce.com/Details/Information/e47cfe66-efac-4585-8adf-16a219e4fc39

Learn more:  https://naswfl.socialworkers.org/Events/Calendar-of-Events/ArtMID/72279/ArticleID/7165/May-4-2026-%e2%80%a2-Virtual

Students:  FREE

$15 NASW FL members

$25 future members

Description:

This engaging, practical workshop introduces The U-Model™ - an innovative clinical framework that combines Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Participants will learn to reframe “resistance” as sacred protection and guide clients through three powerful phases: the Descent (identifying protective parts and legacy burdens), the Turn (witnessing with Self-energy), and the Ascent (mining heroic intent and scaling values-driven action).

Key tools include: the Curiosity Audit, the 8 Cs of Self-Leadership, unblended language shifts, and tri-level committed action (Micro/Meso/Macro). The presentation is grounded in robust evidence, including the Hayes et al. “DeathStar Project” process-based meta-analysis and the 2026 Borgogna ACT meta-analysis. All participants receive ready-to-use handouts (Curiosity Audit, Ascent Action Plan, and 30-Day Integration Calendar).

Learning Objectives:

Describe the three phases of The U-Model™ and explain how they integrate IFS and ACT principles to facilitate trauma recovery and psychological flexibility.

Apply the Curiosity Audit and Sacred Inquiry questions to help clients shift from emotional fusion (“I am anxious”) to Self-leadership (“A part of me feels anxious”).

Design tri-level committed action plans (Micro: self-sovereignty; Meso: relational truth-speaking; Macro: systemic impact) that recycle protective parts into lasting client superpowers.

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.  7:00 PM - 8:15 PM ET

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

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.

April 10, 2026 2:00 - 4:00 PM ET   The U-Model™: 7-Stage Roadmap Featured Webinar Series (2 CEUs)  FMHCA

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. 

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