We are delighted to introduce Arnie Angerman, LCSW, as our new Alumni Association President. Arnie completed Ackerman’s training in July 2016. He works at the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Ser-vices where he draws from a wealth of experience from a previous career to assist his clients. As Alumni Association President, Arnie will be working closely with the Institute to develop engagement and continu-ing education opportunities for our Alumni communi-ty, and encourage them to give of their talent, time, and resources to advance Ackerman’s work.

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

The Ackerman Institute’s mission is as urgent today as it was in 1960, devel-oping cutting-edge approaches to treating difficult problems that family members face and training the next generation of family therapists.

This academic year, we welcomed 148 trainees in our Foundations, Live Clinical and Externship Program.

Attendance at our Friday workshops, presented by some of the most accomplished and published experts in every field of family therapy are filled to capacity, and our webinars (in partnership with Family Process) are having an impact worldwide. And, thanks to our prestigious faculty and alumni, Ackerman’s reputation of excellence continues to grow do-mestically and globally. We strive to make our commitment to social justice evident in our work with families and couples and in our training model by looking at how oppression, in all of its forms, is impacting the lives of families and how that impacts their relationships with each other. This fall, we experienced a significant increase in the number of families needing to talk about the election, and the kinds of fears and concerns that this event raised for them. We make every effort to recognize the com-plex cultural, social, and individual dynamics of the families we work with every day. Our dedicated family of board members, faculty, alumni, supporters and friends, have allowed us to advance our critical work on behalf of the children and families. Thank you so much. Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year!

Warmest Regards,

Lois BravermanCEO and President

NEWS UPDATE

Fall 2016

letter From the presideNt deaN oF admissioNs: walter Vega

Walter Vega, LCSW, is our new Dean of Admissions, as of September 2016. He graduated from Ackerman’s Externship Program in 2009, and became a member of the faculty in 2011. Walter served as the Coordinator and founder of the Supportive Space for Therapists of Color, a collaboration amongst trainees, faculty and alumni of color. He is a member of the adjunct fac-ulty at Columbia University and John Jay College.

As the Dean of Admissions, Wal-ter joins Ackerman’s leadership team to reinvent the excep-tional values of emphatic inclusion and collaboration amongst trainees, leadership, faculty, and admin-istrative staff. He continues the exceptional work of Connie Scharf who served as Dean of Students for 29 years.

iNtrodUciNg the New alUmNi associatioN presideNt:

arNie aNgermaN

Ackerman Institute for the Family News Update Fall 2016 page 2

This year’s alumni lectures expand upon contexts of racism, gender variance, and social justice. Attend-ing the lectures is a benefit for alumni who are up-to-date with their dues. Additionally, for only $20 alum-ni can earn 1.5 CEUs (NY and CT license holders). This is a great way to reconnect with colleagues, and earn credits. These year’s lectures include:

• October 7, 2016 – Astin Brown, LCSW, and Rebecca Ross, LCSW, Be-tween Pink & Blue: A Multidimension-al Approach to Supporting Families of Gender Expansive Youth

• January 20, 2017 – Rhea Almeida, PhD, Critical Consciousness as a Foundational Structure for Healing Practices

• March 3, 2017 – Margaret Nichols, PhD, Kink and Nonmonogamy in Couples

• May 19, 2017 – Christine Foertsch, PhD Dialectical Behavioral Skills for Couples

alUmNi associatioN lectUresOn October 24, 2016, the Ackerman Institute for the Family celebrated its 10th annual Moving Families Forward gala at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in

New York City. Generous donors, friends, and colleagues contributed more than $500,000 for the treatment of children and families, and for the advancement of family therapy through training scholarships and ground-breaking research.

We honored former Board member Blair Brewster with the Ackerman Dis-tinguished Service Award for his com-mitment to the expansion of the family therapy field and our clinical reach.

2016 moViNg Families Forward gala

Founder and CEO of Shatterproof.org, Gary Mendell, accepted the Acker-man Partner Award for his dedication to protecting our loved ones from ad-

diction to illicit and prescription drugs and alcohol, and ending the stigma and suffering of those affected by the disease.

Olympic gold medalist and new mom, Dana Vollmer, was awarded the Ackerman’s Moving Families Forward Award for her story of com-mitment and perseverance, and being a model for holding both passion

for work and family.

Board members Alice Netter and Deborah Werner co-chaired the evening, with Hugh Hidesley presiding the auction, and PIX 11 anchor Tamsen Fadal serving as the evening’s mistress of ceremonies.

L-R: Lois Braverman, Gary Mendell, Blair Brewster, Dana Vollmer

social work & diVersity program

hoNoriNg 29 years oF serVice aNd coUNtiNg: coNNie scharF

We are deeply grateful to Connie Scharf for her unflinching dedica-tion and years of service as Dean of Students. A ’77 Ackerman graduate, Connie over-saw the Externship appli-cation process, reviewed countless applications and conducted hundreds of interviews of prospective trainees. Currently, and for more than 25 years, Connie has served as supervisor in the Live Clinical program. She was a co-founder of the Couples and Infertility Project, Couples and Remarriage Project, and EMDR and Couples Project. Additionally, Connie

has presented workshops on couple therapy and infertility nationally and internationally. She is the co-author

of the book, Couples Therapy for Infertility, which delineates a therapeutic approach for work-ing with couples facing the crisis of infertility. She co-authored chapters in Couples on the Fault Line and Handbook of Primary Care Psychology; and co-au-thored articles in the journals of Family Systems Medicine and

Family Process about therapy with couples struggling with infertility. We are delighted that Connie will contin-ue in her role as a senior member of our faculty.

SW&D Interns at the Gala

L-R: Kahin Adam, Jasmine Braithwaite, Helen Park, Tanisha Christie, Ati Egas

Ackerman Institute for the Family News Update Fall 2016 page 3

Congratulations Lois!

This year marks Lois Braverman’s 10th year anniversary as President of the Ackerman Institute for the Family. She has worked very hard to advance Ackerman’s excellent reputation in the field of family therapy in the U.S. and around the world – with great success!

Under Lois’s leader-ship, Ackerman has greatly expanded issue- and popula-tion-specific clinical projects to meet the increasing demand for specialized services for diverse communities, such as the Gender &

lois braVermaN’s 10th aNNiVersary

Family Project, the Latino Youth and Family Immigration Project: Dimelo en Español, the JUSTICE Project, the Multiracial Family and Couples Proj-

ect, and the Talk Race Group, with additional projects underway. She restructured the Clinic and Intake office to accommodate the treatment of more fam-ilies and work with their ever changing needs. She has spearheaded updating the training curriculum to reflect our modern day diversity with trainees and clients.

Thank you for your leadership, Lois! We look

forward to many more years working with you.

The Ackerman Institute welcomed new and returning students for the 2016-2017 year with its annual Welcome Party on September 7, 2016.

Students shared their motivations for joining the Ackerman community, learned about experiences from returning students, and met and mingled with faculty and staff.

welcome partyNew cliNical research project: the Fathers project

In keeping with our commitment to expand the field of family therapy we are pleased to introduce an exciting clinical project, the Fathers’ Project.

The Fathers’ Project is a resource for anyone interested in meeting to discuss the joys and challenges of fatherhood. This Project will meet much like a support group, where individuals are free to explore their narrative in the company of other parenting adults. Participants will have the chance to define their roles, recognize their contributions and discuss their struggles within the family in the company of others. This Project is co-Directed by Walter Vega, LCSW, and Billy Benson, LCSW.

The Fathers Project is currently seeking participants. If you know anyone that you are currently seeing at Ackerman or in your private practice that you think may be interested in joining this group, please have them contact Walter Vega at wvega@ackerman.org.

Race caucuses can be a powerful tool to increase the skills of therapy educators and trainees to create equitable, inclusive environments and practices for colleagues and clients. At Ackerman, faculty and trainees of color have diligently organized to undo racism at the Institute and increase the critical consciousness for all of us. In gratitude for this work and in the hope of taking on responsibility for creating a more just and healing community, white trainees requested a space for continued white identity development. With white faculty member participants, the Coalition for White Identified Trainees aims to create a community in which we can process experiences in race-related conversations in the classroom, explore ways that our racial identity development impacts our clinical relationships, look for avenues to enact change, and engage in understanding intersectionality or the way that white anti-racism work is impacted by multiple identities. The group is grounded in a commitment to learning, process, and action. CWIT is open to current trainees and meets on the third Friday of every month from 6-8 pm.

ackermaN’s coalitioN oF white-ideNtiFied traiNees (cwit)

Lois Braverman and Erlyne Evans

The Gender & Family Project once again collaborated with Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PLFAG) Howard County-MD

geNder coNFereNce east 2016

and NYC Chapters, and the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) to organize the second annual Gender Conference East 2016. A safe and supportive space dedicated to children and youth across the gender spectrum, this conference puts together programming for youth and their families, as well as professionals working with them. This year’s conference was held on November 11 & 12, 2016 in Newark, NJ.

Ackerman Institute for the Family News Update Fall 2016 page 4

social work & diVersity program stUdeNt, taNisha sabiNe christie, preseNts Film at liberatioN-based healiNg coNFereNce 2016

Social Work & Diversity Program student, Tanisha Sabine Christie, presented her film, “Walk With Me,” with co-Director Ellie Wal-ton, at the 11th Annual Libera-tion-Based Healing Conference (LBHC) of the Institute for Family Services (IFS). The film follows the co-directors as they work in prisons, community centers, and schools. An impressionistic portrayal, the film reveals that one person—one artist—can make a difference. LBHC was held last November and hosted by the Silberman School of Social Worker at Hunter College. Tanisha also moderat-ed the Creative Pathways for Liberation Panel with Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, Director of Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College, Tanya Fields, Executive Director of the BLK Projek, and José Miguel Paez, LCSW, California State University Northridge.

On Friday, October 28, 2016, the Ackerman Institute held its first welcome gathering for LGBTQ-identified trainees, faculty and alumni. Hosted by Dean of Admissions, Walter Vega, the gathering served as an opportunity to foster an understanding of issues pertaining to the LGBTQ-identified community at Ackerman through education, discussion and engagement, and to connect with like-minded peers. Ackerman works to address and bring about change that promotes a welcoming and accepting environment for all members of our community. If you would like to join this group or find out a meeting schedule, please contact Walter at wvega@ackerman.org.

lgbtQ welcome gatheriNg

ackermaN iN the News

L-R: José Miguel Paez, Tanisha Christie, Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, Tanya Fields

NBCNews.com Features Lois Braverman in three holiday segments on tips in dealing with politics at the dinner table. November 23, 2016.

EdgeMediaNetworkHighlights the Gender & Family Project’s collaboration with PFLAG and the Hetrick-Marin Institute on the second annual Gender Conference East 2016. November 8, 2016.

Getty ImagesFeatures Ackerman’s Moving Families Forward Gala honorees Blair Brewster, Gary Mendell, and Dana Vollmer with me-dia VIPs Tamsen Fadal, PIX11 Anchor, Mike Woods, Good Day New York. November 7, 2016.

New York Social DiaryIncludes Ackerman’s Moving Families Forward Gala as one of the social events of the season. November 7, 2016.

Mogul.com Highlights Ackerman’s Moving Families Forward Gala. October 31, 2016.

Wall Street JournalFeatures Jean Malpas and the Gender and Family Project in the story of a fifth grader making a social transition at P.S. 29. October 28, 2016.

Good Day New YorkMike Woods, meteorologist, highlights Ackerman’s Moving Families Forward Gala. October 25, 2016.

WPIX 11Tamsen Fadal, News Anchor, talks about hosting Ackerman’s Moving Families Forward Gala. October 25, 2016.

Fortune MagazineQuotes Jean Malpas on masculinity and unconscious gender bias in the UN Women’s HeForShe online training. October 20, 2016.

Ackerman Institute for the Family News Update Fall 2016 page 5

Ackerman Holiday PartySaturday, 7-9 p.m.

Loving with ADHDStephanie Manes, LCSW, Esq.January 13, 2017, 10am-4pm

The Money Factor and Couples Therapy Judy Stern Peck, LCSWJanuary 20, 2017, 10am-4pm

Critical Consciousness as a Foundational Structure for Healing PracticesRhea Almeida PhDJanuary 20, 2017, 5:30 – 8:30 pm

Expanding Sexual Frames in Theory and Practice in Couples TherapySuzanne Iasenza, PhDJanuary 27, 2017, 10am-4pm

Treating Trauma in Adolescents: Development, Attachment, and the Therapeutic RelationshipMartha B. Straus, PhDFebruary 3, 2017, 10am-4pm

From Reactivity to Intimacy: An Advanced Workshop for Couples TherapistsMichele Scheinkman, LCSWFebruary 17, 2017, 10am-4pm

Human-Animal Bonds: The Relational Significance and Therapeutic Applications Froma Walsh, PhDMarch 3, 2017, 10am-4pm

Kink and Nonmonogamy in CouplesMargaret Nichols, PhDMarch 3, 2017, 5:30 – 8:30 pm

UpcomiNg eVeNts

FacUlty pUblicatioNs aNd preseNtatioNs

Families and Substance Abuse: Creating a Relational Frame in the Context of Addiction TreatmentMolly Bobek, LCSW; Carrie Sanders, MPH, LCSW; and Frank Wells, LCSWMarch 10, 2017, 10am-4pm

Living in a Pornified WorldIan Kerner, PhD, LMFTMarch 24, 2017, 10am-4pm

Dímelo en Español: Collabora-tive Therapeutic Conversations with Latino Immigrant FamiliesSilvia B. Espinal, LCSW and Genoveva Garcia, LCSWMarch 31, 2017, 10am-4pm

Ambiguous Loss and the Myth of ClosurePauline Boss, PhDApril 7, 2017, 10am-4pm

Dialectical Behavioral Skills for CouplesChristine Foertsch, PhDMay 19, 2017, 5:30-8:30 pm

Save the DateA Night of A Thousand Genders GalaApril 24, 2017

Working with Reactivity in Couples and Families: A Buddhist Psychological Approach to Strong EmotionsDavid Kezur, LCSWJune 2, 2017, 10am-4pm

2017 Externship in Emotionally Focused Couples TherapyDr. Sue Johnson and George Faller, LMFTJune 26-29, 2017

Andrea Blumenthal “Rebuilding Bonds: A Relational Approach to Repairing Family Ruptures,” Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 18-19, 2016. Santiago, Chile, October 21-22, 2016.

Lois Braverman“Self and Respecting Difference in Families,” RayLign 10th Anniversary Celebration. New York, NY, November 2, 2016.

Evan Imber-Black“Therapeutic Choice Points,” American Family Therapy Academy, Denver, CO, June 24, 2016.

“New Writers Fellowship” Seminar, Family Process Institute, Chicago, IL, October13-14, 2016.

“Therapeutic Choice Points in Complex Coupes Therapy,” Ackerman Institute for the Family, October 21, 2016.

Elana Katz“Inaugural Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy in Israel,” presented with George Faller, The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel, February 2016.

“How to Keep it Together When Your Marriage is Coming Apart,” Webinar, Work Life Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, February 2016.

“Resourcing Clients Who Divorce,” with B. Berman, FamilyKind, New York, NY, July 2016.

“EFT Certification Bootcamp,” Chicago Center for EFT, GlenEllyn, IL, July 2016.

“Responding to Couples in Crisis: Using Emotions and Attachment as Our Guide,” Instituto Chileno El Terapia Familiar, Santiago, Chile, and Fundacion Aigle, Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 2016.

Peter Steinglass MD“Systemic-Motivational Family Therapy for Substance Abuse,” American Family Therapy Academy Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, June 25, 2016.

“From the Affordable Care Act to Universal Health Care in New York State,” Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds Presen-tation, Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island, NY, December 2, 2016. (Presented under the sponsorship of the NY Metro Chapter of the Physicians for a National Health Program)

Steinglass, P. Sanders, C. & Wells, F., “Multiple Family Therapy,” APA Handbook of Contemporary Family Psychology, B. Fiese, Editor-in-Chief, in press.

Ellen Wachtel, JD, Ph.D. The Heart of Couple Therapy: Knowing What to Do and How to Do It, Guilford Press, November 2016.

thandiwe Dee Watts-Jones, Ph.D. “Location of Self in Training and Supervision.” In Culturally Sensitive Supervision and Training: Diverse Perspectives and Practical Applications, eds. Kenneth V. Hardy, Toby Bobes, New York: Routledge, 2016.

Presentation at the annual seminar of the Therapy Center of Philadelphia, “Meeting at the Body: Clinical Dialogues around Race, Gender and Embodied Psychotherapy.” September 30, 2016.

UpcomiNg commUNity FUNdraisiNg eVeNts!

These events are sure to get you into shape after the holi-days:

Ackerman Team! Last June, our team raised over $7,300 for Ackerman’s work by participating in its first race ever with the NY Road Runners. We will build our team once again in the spring—any level of athletic ability welcomed! Race TBD.

Soul to Soul for Families! For those who’d rather spin, we are planning an event at Soul Cycle. Details coming soon.