NBCC

Connection in the Complexity: The Power of Relationships in Transforming Our Work

· September 22, 2026 ·

This event is FREE for those not receiving CE credit. Use code FREENOCE in your cart.

In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, relationships serve as a vital force for sustainable change. Join us for an interdisciplinary conversation spanning counseling and therapy, environmental education, education, and leadership, centered on how Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) is applied in real-world settings. Featuring panel perspectives on relational curiosity, mutuality, and communities of practice; this session invites scholar-practitioners to explore the next era of relationally engaged work.

For attendees not receiving CE credit, please register directly on Zoom.

Various hands meeting together in a circle

Learning Goals

Identify core RCT principles and their application to counseling, therapeutic practice, and teaching, learning, and educational leadership.
Examine the role of relationships, power, and context in supporting growth and well-being.
Apply relational curiosity and mutuality to strengthen therapeutic and community-based practice.
Explore relational practices that foster connection, collaboration, and sustainable change in educational settings.

Relational-Cultural Theory & Antioch University

In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, RCT@AU creates opportunities to explore how relationships can support meaningful change in our workplaces, classrooms, communities, and organizations. Rooted in the understanding that people grow through connection, Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) offers a relational lens for navigating complexity, strengthening communities, and creating conditions where people can learn, heal, and thrive.

Through interdisciplinary conversations, shared learning, and opportunities for connection, this event, Connection in the Complexity: The Power of Relationships in Transforming Our Work, brings together people working across leadership, social change, mental health, and education. Together, we will explore how relational practices such as curiosity, mutuality, empathy, and communities of practice can shape the way we lead, teach, support others, and participate in positive social change.

Panel Discussion
Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, MPH – Moderator
Katie Penn, PhD, Leadership and Change
Myriam Barenbaum, LCSW-R, MPH, Mental Wellness
Mindith R. Rahmat, Psy.D.

Instructor

Amy Rutstein-Riley

PhD, MPH Dean, School of Interdisciplinary and Professional Studies and Director, PhD Program in Leadership and Change

Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, MPH is a highly collaborative leader, seasoned educator, and interdisciplinary scholar. Her current research activities focus on Women’s Leadership in Higher Education, Trauma-informed Leadership, and girls’ and emerging adult women’s development.

Prior to joining the Graduate School of Leadership and Change, for the past eighteen years, she has served in a number of roles at Lesley University, including Director of the PhD Specialization in Adult Learning and Development, Dean of the Faculty, Chair of the PhD in Education Studies, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, and, most recently, Associate Provost of Academic Affairs.

Katie Penn

PhD, Vice President, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Bentley College
Alumna of Antioch University Graduate School of Leadership and Change

Dr. Katie Penn is a strategic change leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing organizational effectiveness in education. A systems thinker and collaborative leader, Katie helps organizations shape change by uncovering the structural and cultural barriers that inhibit progress and identifying opportunities to create more equitable and inclusive cultures. She is skilled at guiding teams through complex change with trust, compassionate accountability, and a commitment to learning – helping people ask better questions, navigate uncertainty, and turn change into meaningful progress. Currently, Katie is exploring how Relational Curiosity can nurture resilient organizations through connection and collective meaning-making in times of uncertainty and change.

Myriam Barenbaum

LCSW-R, MPH

photo of Miriam Barenbaum. Wearing blue shirt.

Myriam Barenbaum, LCSW-R, MPH, is deeply committed to helping to bring Jean Baker-Miller’s and RCT’s work forward in the world. Myriam is a clinical social worker with a private practice in Nyack, NY and an active board member of the International Center for Growth in Connection. She has been a therapist at The Trager Lemp Center for Treating Trauma and Promoting Resilience in Yonkers, NY for the past decade. She also runs a weekly support group for domestic violence survivors. Relational Cultural Theory is foundational to all of her relationships, both professionally and personally.

Mindith R. Rahmat

Psy.D., Interim Chair and Core Faculty in the Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology

Mindith R. Rahmat, Psy.D., is an educator, scholar, and academic leader committed to creating learning environments where students and educators can experience connection, belonging, curiosity, compassion, and meaningful growth. She serves as Interim Chair and Core Faculty in the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program at Antioch University Santa Barbara and as Antioch University’s inaugural Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) Faculty Fellow, where she contributes to university-wide efforts to support faculty development, relational pedagogy, inclusive teaching, and student-centered learning.

At the heart of Dr. Rahmat’s work is the belief that teaching is fundamentally relational. Her scholarship explores how the quality of our relationships with learners, with one another, and with ourselves shapes engagement, belonging, resilience, well-being, and the possibilities for transformative learning. Her work brings relational teaching into conversation with compassion-focused pedagogy, mindfulness, trauma-sensitive education, therapeutic presence, and inclusive and accessible approaches to learning. Dr. Rahmat earned her Doctor of Psychology in Educational Psychology from Alliant University and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Marshall University. She is currently completing a second doctorate, a Ph.D. in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, with anticipated completion in spring 2027. Her interdisciplinary training includes trauma-sensitive mindfulness, mindful self-compassion, mindfulness-based approaches, yoga therapy, and compassion-based interventions and therapies. These perspectives inform her commitment to educational spaces that honor both academic rigor and our shared humanity. Dr. Rahmat’s work reflects a guiding conviction that relationships are not an addition to teaching; they are part of the conditions that make meaningful learning possible. Through compassion, authenticity, mutuality, dignity, and belonging, educators can cultivate classrooms where learning and well-being can flourish together.

Assessing Suicide & Safety Risk in Military Veterans: Best Practices

· May 18, 2026 ·

This workshop equips clinical mental health counselors with the knowledge and tools to conduct effective risk assessments through a military- and veteran-specific lens. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of military culture, exploring how this population’s unique strengths and experiences intersect with potential clinical risk factors. Drawing from both lived military experience and research on military-veteran mental health, this session challenges traditional assumptions and expands perspectives on working with veterans and their families.

Through case examples and applied learning, counselors will enhance their ability to identify and assess military-specific risk factors, apply evidence-based assessment tools, and develop culturally responsive safety plans that align with veterans’ values and help-seeking patterns.

Learning Goals

Identify and assess military-specific risk factors
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to identify at least 5 unique risk factors common to military-veteran populations
(such as combat exposure, moral injury, transition stress, and access to firearms) and integrate these factors into comprehensive
suicide and violence risk assessments.
Apply evidence-based risk assessment tools adapted for veteran populations
Participants will be able to select and administer at least 2 validated risk assessment instruments appropriate for military-veteran
clients (such as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale or veteran-specific screening tools) and interpret results within the context
of military culture and experience.
Develop culturally responsive safety planning and intervention strategies
Participants will be able to create tailored safety plans and risk management interventions that account for military values, veteran
help-seeking behaviors, and available veteran-specific resources (including VA services, veteran peer support, and crisis lines), while
addressing barriers to care unique to this population.

Instructor

Dr. David Gosling

PhD, LPC (VA, WI), NCC

Dr. David Gosling is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Assistant Professor and the Director of Military Counseling in the counseling program at William & Mary’s School of Education. David previously served as a core faculty member in the Counseling, Psychology, and Therapy Department at Antioch University, where he was the co-founder and director of the Military, Veterans & Families (MVF) Counseling Certificate, as well as the Military Connected Student Support Liaison for Antioch University’s five nationwide campuses.

David is a proud alum of William & Mary’s Counselor Education and Supervision program, a former Airborne Ranger-qualified Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army and combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08, the Honor Graduate of the 2009 Rhode Island State Police Academy and the Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of Colorado’s Army ROTC program in 2004. His other professional pursuits beyond the military, law enforcement and counselor education have included working as an Outward Bound wilderness guide for troubled teens, operating an Islamic nonprofit farm and retreat center and working in veterans advocacy on Capitol Hill.

Trauma Informed Creative Arts Therapy Program (CE Credit Certificate Registration Only)

· May 7, 2026 ·

Participants of Lucy Barbera’s Trauma-Informed Creative Art Therapy Workshop Program must first register on this webpage and complete the course to receive a NBCC/ CAMFT approved CE credit certificate through Antioch University for 30 CE credits.

Click here for more information and to register for the full program. ($1,200)

Click “Add to cart” to register for the 30 CE credits ($35)

This unique program was designed to assist helping professionals in treating complex trauma, using a multi-modal creative arts approach for integration and healing. The program provides helping professionals instruction on HOW to immediately apply creative methods, within the context of their practice with diverse populations and WHEN to utilize the Creative Arts Therapies when working with individuals and/or groups, using the following modalities: visual arts, creative writing, movement, music, and the dramatic arts, safely without re-traumatization, within the Window of Time-Tolerance-Reconsolidation.

The TRAUMA-INFORMED Creative Arts Therapy program is open to mental health professionals, human-service providers, teaching artists, and educators who want to understand the neuroscience of trauma and the vital role the creative arts therapies play in mitigating the negative effects of trauma.

“Trauma is perhaps the most avoided, ignored, belittled, denied, misunderstood, and untreated cause of human suffering.”
– Peter Levine, PhD

DATES:
September 19th, October 10th & 17th, November 7th & 21st, and December 12th, 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm ET (1:00 pm – 2:00 pm lunch break) Program participants must complete 30 hours to receive certificate.

HYBRID Facilitation: LIVE in PERSON in Kingston, NY and simultaneously over ZOOM

WHAT: The Trauma- Informed Creative Arts Therapy Program consists of 30 Training hours and 6 (built-in hours for one make-up day, should that be necessary for any reason.

WHERE: This Program will be conducted face-to-face in the Creative Arts Therapy Studio, in Kingston, New York & via ZOOM simultaneously!

PRICE:
Training | $1,200 | Click here to register
Payment can be made in 2 installments: one half to hold your space and the second half is due on the first day of the program).
Cost includes: All ART SUPPLIES (mailed to you if you are not attending in person)

CE Credits through Antioch University | $35 | Click “Add to Cart” on this page. Registration for CE credits will remain open until Sunday, December 13th, 2026.
If you have already registered for the training through the affiliate page, you can request a Continuing Education certificate through Antioch University by clicking “Add to Cart” on this page.

Instructor

Lucy Barbera

PhD, LCAT

Lucy Barbera, PhD, LCAT, is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, whose clinical work spans the medical, psychiatric, and special education settings, as a Creative Arts Therapist, Art Teacher, and Special Education Principal. For over twenty years, Dr. Barbera has served on the faculty of The Humanistic Multicultural Education Graduate Program, at SUNY, New Paltz, where she developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Expressive Arts Therapy and Expressive Arts Leadership & Social Justice. Dr. Barbera is the Founder of the Trauma-Informed Creative Arts Therapy Certificate Program, at U Albany’s School of Social Welfare and an Associate Faculty Member of The Person-Centered Expressive Arts Therapy Program, founded by Dr. Natalie Rogers. Dr. Barbera lectures widely on the healing power of the arts, and curates exhibitions of patient/client expressive art, bringing awareness of the healing power of the arts to the community. Dr. Barbera maintains a private practice in Creative Arts Therapy, using a trauma-informed approach to creative arts therapies.

Dreams, Duty, and Decisions: Counseling Military Spouses on Self Care

· April 23, 2026 ·

Military spouses often carry invisible burdens—balancing caregiving, relocation, and constant adaptation while quietly setting aside their own goals and identity needs. For clinicians, supporting these clients requires a nuanced understanding of how chronic role strain, shifting family systems, and identity disruption intersect to produce burnout.

This 90-minute professional development session equips counselors with tools to identify the psychosocial stressors most common among military spouses, evaluate existing interventions for effectiveness, and design practical, individualized action plans that foster resilience and self-redefinition. Through case-based discussion and reflection, participants will deepen their capacity to help clients reclaim agency, reframe purpose, and integrate self-care into the rhythms of military life.

Learning Goals

Identify common psychosocial stressors and role expectations that contribute to burnout and identity disruption in military spouses.
Evaluate the effectiveness of existing clinical approaches for supporting military spouses experiencing burnout or identity loss.
Design a brief clinical action plan incorporating at least one intervention to reduce burnout and promote resilience in a military spouse client case.

Instructor

Cecily Moore

LPC-MHSP, LMHC

Dr. Moore is very excited to be a part of the AUNE counseling department. Currently, Dr. Moore lives in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, with her spouse and two children. Dr. Moore is a military spouse and owns an online counseling practice working with Black professional mothers.

Dr. Moore specializes in addressing the SBW narrative, depression, career-related stressors, career trauma, and perinatal mental health concerns. Dr. Moore is trained in EMDR, play therapy, solution-focused therapy, and perinatal mental health treatment protocols. Dr. Moore loves to read and considers herself a lifelong learner.

Introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS): Experiential Parts Work and Clinical Application

· April 20, 2026 ·

This workshop introduces Internal Family Systems (IFS) as both an experiential and clinically applicable framework for understanding and working with the human psyche.

Grounded in the core principles of the IFS Institute model, participants will learn how the mind naturally organizes into parts, how Self-energy functions as an internal leader, and how protective and vulnerable parts interact within an internal system.

The training is designed to bridge conceptual understanding with lived experience. Participants will engage in a guided parts-mapping process to explore their own internal system, followed by structured instruction on how to apply IFS-informed interventions in clinical practice.

This course emphasizes accessibility, relational presence, and practical integration, allowing clinicians to embody the work rather than solely understand it intellectually. The material is relevant for both those new to IFS and practitioners seeking to deepen their experiential and clinical application of the model.

Learning Goals

Participants will be able to identify and describe at least three core components of the IFS model, including parts, Self-energy, and protective roles.
Participants will be able to construct a basic parts map of their own internal system, identifying at least two protective parts and one vulnerable part.
Participants will be able to differentiate between Self-led presence and parts-led reactivity in clinical interactions.
Participants will be able to demonstrate at least two IFS-informed interventions for working with protective parts in a clinical setting.

Instructor

Joseph Bielling

LPCA, Certified Level 3 IFS Therapist

Trauma-informed therapist & educator integrating IFS, somatics, and Self-leadership IFS Level 3 • LPC-Associate • Author

As a Certified Level 3 Internal Family Systems (IFS) Practitioner and Licensed Professional Counseling Associate, my passion lies in empowering individuals to understand the intricacies of their minds, unlocking their full potential. My journey has been profoundly shaped by the transformative power of combining psychedelics and IFS, healing deep trauma where traditional therapy often falls short. Since 2007, I have been an entrepreneur dedicated to wellness and mental health. I own a wellness center and a coaching business, and I hold a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. My career has been defined by creating cooperative opportunities, assisting wellness practitioners in running their businesses, and helping individuals heal from past wounds. My mission is to help people understand how their minds actually work so they can reach their potential with confidence, courage, and compassion. My dedication to personal growth and the IFS therapy model began in 2016. This approach has had a profound impact on my life, allowing me to resolve and heal trauma that traditional therapy couldn’t touch. IFS helped me realize that I am not a broken or damaged person, but rather a whole individual capable of profound self-understanding and growth. In my coaching and counseling roles, I bring my personal growth experience, passion for helping others, and skills in active listening and compassion to the forefront. I am committed to guiding my clients on their journeys to self-discovery and healing, leveraging my expertise to make a lasting impact on their lives. I am excited to connect with individuals and organizations who share my dedication to mental health and personal growth. Let’s connect and explore how we can work together to create a healthier, more compassionate world.