Our Training Institute offers workshops, certification programs, and other services on a variety of topics related to grief and trauma.
The trainers were excellent, knowledgeable, dynamic teachers of such an important topic-they conveyed their expertise so well, and I left the training with several concrete tools I will start using immediately!
– Wendt Center Trainee
I have attended hundreds of trainings and this has to be one of the very best I have ever attended. Thank you.
– Wendt Center Trainee
The Wendt Center Training Institute is a groundbreaking achievement in trauma-informed, community focused mental healthcare. We are building a network of service providers and social leaders equipped to bring hope and healing to the communities in which they work and live. The Wendt Center Training Institute offers trainings and workshops on a variety of topics, to increase the skill, confidence and capacity of mental health professionals and community members as they support persons experiencing grief and loss as well as those impacted by trauma.
Training for Mental Health Professionals
The Wendt Center is the leading expert in providing high-quality mental health services to those impacted by grief, loss and/or trauma. For over four decades, our staff of highly trained and seasoned grief and trauma psychotherapists have brought the Wendt Center’s unique brand of healing services to the Greater Washington Area. Yet, as our staff has grown and our office space has expanded—the demand for our services has only increased. Through the Wendt Center Training Institute, mental health providers can help us meet this growing demand by learning to better serve those experiencing grief/loss and/or trauma.
The Institute trainings offer cutting-edge information, grounded in theory, and infused with practical exercises led by the expert faculty of Wendt Center clinicians.
I appreciated the balance of theory and interventions. I felt everything that was taught I could implement in my office tomorrow. The presenter was extremely knowledgeable and used a variety of teaching modalities. I would love to attend more trainings.”
— Wendt Center Trainee
Healing at the Intersection:
Grief & Trauma Therapy Certification
Presented by the Wendt Center
As we approach year three of living through a pandemic, it has never been more important to competent clinical practice to understand how to work with the experience of grief. The Wendt Center offers a certificate program in grief and trauma therapy services for clinicians looking to deepen their expertise in grief with special emphasis at the intersection with trauma. This program provides clinicians with the advanced theory and skills necessary to provide high quality care to those who have experienced loss and trauma.
In its third year, the Wendt Center’s Healing at the Intersection offers a 6-month Grief and Trauma Therapy Certification program centered at the intersection of grief and trauma. Each month, participants will participate intwo consecutive days of training with monthly consultation groups to deepen the program’s learning. The certification program is grounded in theory and collaborative learning, informed by practice with opportunities for real-time coaching to help participants build their grief competency and confidence, especially those experiencing traumatic grief. The program aims to equip mental health clinicians with the tools needed to bear witness to and support their adult clients on the journey to healing.
Schedule and Agenda
The program consists of six two-day sessions across six months and will be held virtually. All sessions take place on a consecutive Thursday and Friday, 9:30am-5:30pm (EST) both days with an hour for lunch and breaks in both the morning and afternoon.
- Session 1: January 26 & 27, 2023: First Sessions
Day 1: Preparing to Journey with Grievers
Day 2: Discovering the Elements of the Grief - Group Consultation: Friday, February 10, 2023
- Session 2: February 23 & 24, 2023: Assessment in Grief and Trauma
Day 1: Attunement, Attachment, Trauma and The Knots of Grief
Day 2: Systems, Identity, Cultural Humility and Assessing the Impact of the Work on Self - Group Consultation: Friday, March 10, 2023
- Session 3: March 23 & 24, 2023: Centering for the Unfolding Story
Day 1: Safety, Stabilization, Supporting Pain and The Knots of Grief
Day 2: The Elements of the Story - Group Consultation: Friday, April 14, 2023
- Session 4: April 27 & 28, 2023: Exploring the Stories
Day 1: Scary Grief Stories
Day 2: Role of Relationships in Grief - Group Consultation: Friday, May 12, 2023
- Session 5: May 18 & 19, 2023: Making Meaning
Day 1: Processing Death in Groups and Making Meaning
Day 2: Continuing Bonds and Rituals in Grief - Group Consultation: Friday, June 9, 2023
- Session 6: June 22 & 23, 2023: Healthy Goodbyes
Day 1: Growth, Integrated Grief, and Healthy Goodbyes
Day 2: Presence, Hope, and Buffering the Impact of the Work
Cost
The total cost for coursework to participants is $2,640.00. A Google Classroom will store all Session PowerPoints and materials necessary for six two-day sessions, the provision of 70 continuing education credits (a cost of $2,400) and required group consultation (a cost of $240). Group consultation will meet one time in between each of the training sessions, for a total of 5 meetings.
We recommend you reading the following information carefully before completing an application.
Application Process
An initial, non-refundable application fee of $50 will be due at submission of application. If accepted into the program, this fee will be considered payment towards the total cost. Please complete the application and pay the application fee. All applicants will be contacted to schedule a short Zoom meeting to discuss the program and answer any additional questions. Applications are due by 5pm Friday, December 2.
Successful completion of the program includes being an active participant at all training sessions, being actively involved in small group cohort sessions, participating in real-time coaching, and passing the final assessment.
For more information or questions please email training@wendtcenter.org.
Wendt Center for Loss and Healing Training Institute, 1737 is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Wendt Center for Loss and Healing Training Institute maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: March 13, 2021 – March 13, 2022.
Community Trainings
When grief or trauma impact communities; first responders, religious and lay leaders, teachers, parents, and caring community members are often the first to provide support. Wendt Center workshops offer a foundation of knowledge on which to build new skills for helping someone in immediate need. So often healing takes a community, and now, communities will have access to the tools and support they need to assist those experiencing grief, loss, and/or trauma.
Please submit an online request for pricing information or to schedule a training at your agency in any of the following topics:
- Grief
- Trauma-informed systems
- Traumatic grief
- Grief in children and adolescents
- Emotional regulation
- Vicarious trauma and self-care
Crisis Response
The death of a colleague, a traumatic event at a school, violence in the neighborhood, and the death of a classmate; all can shatter one’s sense of safety and stability. Wendt Center crisis sessions are a valuable tool in restoring normalcy. These 1-2 hour small group or individual sessions provide an opportunity to put words to feelings, explore reactions, and obtain information to aid on the path towards healing.
Case Consultation
Through an in-person or over-the-phone consultation, the Wendt Center offers licensed mental health providers the one-of-a-kind opportunity to access our unique expertise in grief and trauma. During the hour-long consultation with one of our highly trained clinicians, the Wendt Center will offer feedback and strategies to support you in better working with your client or community. Consultations are $165/hr.
FAQ
What happens to my registration fee if a training is cancelled?
In the event that a training needs to be canceled or postponed, participants (or the partnering agency) will be notified and offered a refund or a transfer of registration.
What is your inclement weather policy?
The Wendt Center follows the Federal Government for all closures and delays. In the event the Federal Government is closed the training will be canceled and rescheduled. Participants will be offered a refund or a transfer of registration to the new date. If the Federal Government has a delayed opening the training will begin on time as scheduled.
What are the requirements for completing a course with continuing education credit?
At the beginning of the training, participants will complete a pre-test to measure learning. Participants are required to attend for the entire duration of the workshop, signing in and out for the workshop and a lunch break. After the workshop is completed, participants will be required to complete an evaluation and post-test.
What is the process for receiving my certificate?
Participants will receive a link for an evaluation and post-test by email within one hour of the workshop conclusion. Once participants have electronically completed their evaluation and post-test, they will be sent a certificate for continuing education units by email within a week of completion. A participant’s receipt of their certificate is not contingent upon achieving a particular score on their post-test.
How can I request a refund as an individual participant?
Course participants may request a refund up to 30 days prior to the training date. The registration fee, less a $25 administrative fee will be refunded. To request a refund within this timeframe, please e-mail training@wendtcenter.org. Refunds will be issued electronically within approximately one week of your request.
How do I request an accommodation?
The Wendt Center’s training facilities are handicap accessible. Individuals needing special accommodations, please contact the Director of Training, Melissa Sellevaag at msellevaag@wendtcenter.org. For trainings taking place at a partnering organization, please contact that organization.
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How can I file a complaint or grievance about the course or instructor?
The Wendt Center seeks to ensure equitable treatment of every person and to make every attempt to resolve grievances in a fair and transparent manner. Therefore, we are eager to address any refund requests, complaints about course content, speakers, facilities, non-receipt of certificates, and any other occurrences. To submit all other grievances, please send a written summary of the incident to Emily Prusator, LICSW at eprusator@wendtcenter.org. All grievances will be documented and actions taken to address any grievances will be recorded. These records can be made available to the ASWB ACE program for review upon request. Grievances will receive, to the best of our ability, corrective action in order to prevent further problems. A copy of this policy is available on promotional material and upon request.
For any additional questions, please contact Melissa Sellevaag, Director of Training and Education, at 202-204-5033 or training@wendtcenter.org