EXPLORE OUR
TRAUMA
STUDIES CENTER

Our vision is to reduce the suffering and isolation of those wounded by overwhelming terror, humiliation, and helplessness. We seek to do so through the training of trauma clinicians, the treatment of trauma survivors, and community education.

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Integrated Trauma Training

ICP was the first New York City psychotherapy training institute to offer comprehensive training in the theory and treatment of psychological trauma and continues to be the most clinically focused certificate program in the New York City metropolitan area.

Our faculty are all seasoned practitioners who are skilled in one or more methods of trauma processing. Many have published articles on trauma and other subjects. All are in active clinical practice, with countless years of psychotherapy and supervisory experience. Major breakthroughs in neuroscience have profoundly changed how we comprehend and treat psychological trauma, now central to the mental health field. Therapy patients actively seek trauma-trained practitioners who recognize this paradigm shift and are skilled in treating psychological trauma.

Since 2004, our program has been successively refined to effectively combine theory and clinical practice. Through in-depth supervision, group case consultation, and practicums, our candidates develop an integrated understanding of psychological trauma and the practical clinical skills necessary to treat traumatized clients effectively. Above all, we care deeply that the process of your learning will be both challenging and supportive.

The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy’s two-year Integrated Trauma Training Program is the only comprehensive learning sequence in trauma in the New York Metropolitan area. At the completion of our program, you will have received:

A thorough grounding in the neurobiological principles that underlie psychological trauma
An integrative understanding of trauma theory, attachment theory as it relates to trauma, dissociation, and developmental trauma
Instruction in how to apply trauma theory phase-oriented treatment, and clinical interventions to use in your clinical practice
Intensive training in techniques to address symptoms of posttraumatic stress, including hyper- and hypo-arousal, using the most effective interventions from modalities focused on regulation and stabilization like hypnosis, schemas, mindfulness, etc.
Training in Levels 1 & 2 of EMDR
Introduction to what we have found to be three additional effective techniques for processing trauma symptoms and memory reconsolidation: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
A unique clinical experience of providing at least 120 hours of trauma-focused therapy to ICP clinic patients
At least 60 hours per year of individual supervision with seasoned trauma-trained supervisors
90 hours of group case consultation, including EMDR group case consultation in the second year of training

ACADEMIC CALENDAR CONTINUING ED WORKSHOPS QUESTIONS? EMAIL US

Academic Calendar

First Semester: September – January
Mid-year Break
Second Semester: February – May

Class Schedule:
9:00 am – 11:20 am: Didactic Class and Experiential Training
11:30 am – 1:00pm: Group Case Consultation

Eligibility

To be eligible for our program, you will need to have a masters in mental health field like social work or mental health counseling, or a doctorate in psychology or other mental health profession. In addition, we usually require at least two years of post-degree clinical experience. If you are not fully licensed, you can accrue hours towards your license through ICP’s adult treatment clinic. Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Graduate degree in either psychology, social work, counseling, pastoral counseling, medicine, psychiatric nursing, or other mental health profession
License or Limited Permit

Readiness for Training:
The applicant’s previous training and experience will be assessed as part of the admissions process. Because trauma work is demanding and involves many new concepts, basic therapeutic skills should already be in place. Applicants should have some familiarity with psychodynamic concepts such as transference and countertransference.

Tuition and Expenses/Fees

Check back for 2024/25 Tuition and Fees
Tuition is subject to change annually.
The tuition covers course work and group supervision. Candidates are responsible for individual supervision fees.
Please note that expenses for training directly related to one’s profession may be considered a tax-deductible expense.

Graduation Requirements

At the completion of our program, you will have received:

A thorough grounding in the neurobiological principles that underlie psychological trauma
An integrative understanding of trauma theory and attachment theory as they relate to trauma, dissociation, and developmental trauma
Instruction in how to apply trauma theory phase-oriented treatment, and clinical interventions to use in your clinical practice
Intensive training in techniques to address symptoms of posttraumatic stress, including hyper- and hypo-arousal, using the most effective interventions from modalities focused on regulation and stabilization like hypnosis, schemas, mindfulness, etc.
Training in Levels 1 & 2 of EMDR
Introduction to what we have found to be three additional effective techniques for processing trauma symptoms and memory reconsolidation: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
A unique clinical experience of providing at least 120 hours of trauma-focused therapy to ICP clinic patients
At least 60 hours per year of individual supervision with seasoned trauma-trained supervisors
90 hours of group case consultation, including EMDR group case consultation in the second year of training

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Scholarships and tuition assistance are available to candidates who might qualify.

We are also proud to offer the Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark BIPOC Scholarship, which awards one scholarship of two full years of tuition to a trauma therapist who is Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Color.

Please email the Trauma Program Manager at trauma@icpnyc.org for more information about how to apply.

Curriculum

COURSEWORK:
Over two years, the Training Program offers a four-semester sequence of coursework that moves the student from theory to treatment, with increasing emphasis on clinical application. Each theory course will provide the opportunity to learn concepts and practice skills.

Semester 1 provides an overview introducing the fundamental concepts and vocabulary of trauma theory and treatment, its history, its neurobiology, and the impact of systemic racism. In Semester 2, candidates will learn methods for stabilizing clients, and in Semester 3, we study techniques for processing traumatic memories. During Semester 3, candidates will be trained in EMDR Levels 1 & 2 and will receive at least ten hours of EMDR group case consultation as part of their training. In addition, Semester 4 offers a series of guest presentations that demonstrate how experienced clinicians integrate trauma theory with specialized client populations.

Sample Curriculum:

Semester 1: Foundations of Trauma Theory
Semester 2: Stabilization
Semester 3: Trauma Processing
Semester 4: Special Topics in Trauma Treatment

Semester I: Foundations of Trauma Theory

The curriculum is designed with the intention that students engage in experiential learning and hands-on clinical experience that prepares them to work with trauma clients. We will begin by learning the cues that alert us to the fact we may be working with a trauma survivor. We will look at the basic premises of trauma theory, and with those in mind, consider how to respond meaningfully in our initial encounters with traumatized clients.

We will study the interconnected subjects of brain functioning, traumatic stress, and brain development as mediated by attachment. Flowing from our deepened understanding of these subjects we will look at dissociation, one of the most challenging aspects of work with trauma survivors. Finally, we will consider the stages of trauma treatment and the treatment plans that should flow from using the trauma paradigm.

We will be attentive to the complex identities that we bring to our work with trauma survivors. We will gain an understanding of the traumatic impact of disrespect, violation, and oppression and discover how we can embrace behaviors that nurture respect and repair.

This course will prepare candidates for the second semester when we will learn specific interventions that can be used in the treatment of psychological trauma in the stabilization stage of treatment.

Below a sample curriculum used in a previous year:

CLASS 1: On Being a Trauma Therapist

CLASS 2: Psychological Trauma: What to Notice

CLASS 3: Introduction to Trauma Theory

CLASS 4: On First Encountering a Traumatized Client: What to Do and Not Do

CLASS 5: Historical, Intergenerational and Cultural Transmission of Trauma

CLASS 6: Addressing Microaggression and Culturally Induced Trauma

CLASS 7: The Neurobiology of Trauma: Basic Concepts Regarding Brain Structure and Functioning

CLASS 8: The Neurobiology of Trauma: Stephen Porges and the Ventral Vagus Theory

CLASS 9: Dissociation: What it is. How it Happens. How to Recognize it.

CLASS 10: Working with Dissociated Self States

CLASS 11: Attachment: What it is. Why it Matters.

CLASS 12: The Brain, Attachment and Developmental Trauma

CLASS 13: Shame

CLASS 14: The Implications of Attachment for Psychotherapy

CLASS 15: What We Learned. How We Have Changed. What We Hope for the Future.

Semester 2: Stabilization

This course follows from the First Semester’s overview of trauma and attachment theory. It will focus on specific interventions that can be used in the first stabilization stage of treatment of psychological trauma. It will introduce interventions helpful in addressing the core symptoms of psychological trauma: reexperiencing, hyper/hypo-arousal, avoidance, and dissociation. As we present the various interventions, there will be opportunities to practice them so that students engage in experiential learning and hands-on clinical experience that prepare them to work with trauma clients.

Below is a sample curriculum used in a previous year:

CLASS 1: Treatment Planning

CLASS 2: Mindfulness

CLASS 3: Reexperiencing and how it impacts the stabilization phase

CLASS 4: Interventions for hyperarousal

CLASS 5: Interventions for hypo-arousal

CLASS 6: Common defensive responses to trauma: Whether, when, and how to intervene

CLASS 7: Developmental trauma: The traumas of what did/did not happen

CLASS 8: Treating developmental trauma: Creating and enhancing the capacity to self-calm and self-validate

CLASS 9: Treating developmental trauma: Empowerment and boundaries

CLASS 10: The dissociative spectrum and its clinical manifestations

CLASS 11: Working with dissociated and fragmented self-states

CLASS 12: Working with dissociated and fragmented self-states and introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS)

CLASS 13: Practice using IFS in the stabilization stage of trauma treatment

CLASS 14: Narrative therapy

CLASS 15: Summing up: What are the most important things we have learned?

Semester 3: Trauma Processing

In this semester, we will continue with our focus on experiential learning and hands-on clinical experience. Students will be introduced to four important trauma processing modalities: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Students will learn about each individual model and how to integrate it with talk therapy and other therapeutic orientations. We will consider the following questions for each model:

What theory of psychic structure does the model assume?
What does each model propose as healing for trauma?
How does each model attempt to keep the client within the Window of Tolerance?
What are the limitations of each model?
What are the strengths of each model?
What are the indications and contraindications for using each model?

We will also consider how aspects of each model can be used without employing the full protocols.

Below is a sample curriculum:

CLASS 1: Microaggressions in a Clinical Setting

CLASS 2: Memory Reconsolidation

CLASS 3: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Preparation

Weekend 1 of EMDR Training

CLASS 4: EMDR Follow-up

CLASS 5: Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

CLASS 6: AEDP

CLASS 7: Internal Family Systems (IFS)

CLASS 8: IFS

CLASS 9: IFS

CLASS 10: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Weekend 2 of EMDR Training

CLASS 11: EMDR Follow-up

CLASS 12: EMDR Follow-up

CLASS 13: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

CLASS 14: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

CLASS 15: EMDR & Dissociation

Semester 4: Special Topics in Trauma Treatment

This semester will feature a series of guest presentations on special topics in trauma treatment through which we will explore how experienced clinicians integrate trauma theory with specialized client populations.

Below is a sample curriculum:

CLASS 1: Impact of Abuse (Physical, Sexual, Emotional, Spiritual)

CLASS 2: Impact of Abuse (Physical, Sexual, Emotional, Spiritual)

CLASS 3: Impact of Abuse (Physical, Sexual, Emotional, Spiritual)

CLASS 4: Trauma in Couples Work

CLASS 5: Trauma in Couples Work

CLASS 6: Termination

CLASS 7: Psychedelics and Trauma

CLASS 8: Trauma and Self-Medication

CLASS 9: Somatic Experiencing

CLASS 10: Somatic Experiencing

CLASS 11: EMDR: Treating Recent Events

CLASS 12: Personality Disorders and Trauma

CLASS 13: Personality Disorders and Trauma

CLASS 14: Vicarious Trauma/Self-Regulation

CLASS 15: Integrating Modalities

GROUP CONSULTATION

In weekly group case consultation, candidates share cases and work together to clarify core concepts and common themes that emerge in trauma treatment under the guidance of a faculty member. Candidates also share and receive support while processing their experiences in the program.

EMDR CERTIFICATION

In the second year of the training program, candidates will receive Level 1 and Level 2 EMDR training in two multiday modules in addition to their didactic coursework. The second-year group consultants are also EMDRIA certified.

INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISION

Candidates are required to complete 30 hours of weekly individual supervision each academic year. Supervision is held at a mutually agreeable time, either virtually or in-person.
Candidates may choose from a list of Training Program supervisors who have been selected for their expertise in trauma treatment and in several of the modalities offered in the curriculum.
Individual supervision provides a place to follow cases assigned from the ICP clinic in depth and over time. With supervisory guidance, candidates have the opportunity to discuss dynamics, develop detailed treatment plans, explore transference and countertransference, and integrate trauma treatment techniques.

Application Process

To apply to the Trauma Training Program, we require the following:

A completed application with a $75 application fee
Resume
Two letters of recommendation
Copy of license

Applicants will be contacted to schedule personal interviews with members of the Training Committee. The Training Committee reviews applications and informs applicants of its decision.

Download an Application

Pay Application Fee

Application Deadline:
Rolling, with new applications accepted for the 2024-2025 academic year from April 2024 onward.

2024-2025 Information Sessions
Details will be announced in early 2024.

Ready to apply?
Access the application and pay the application fee using the buttons above.

For more information about our program, the application process, or scholarships/financial aid:
Contact our Program Manager, Emily Stainkamp, at trauma@icpnyc.org

Director, Training Committee, Faculty, Supervisors

Division Director

Faige Flakser, LCSW

Training Committee

Sara Eldridge, LCSW
Alidra Solday, LCSW
Fran Vazquez, LMHC
Yaelle Yoran, LCSW
Joelle James, LMSW
Laura Levitt, LMSW

Faculty

Faige Flakser, LCSW

Faige Flakser, LCSW, is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional working in private practice in New York City. Faige’s social work experience has always been in the field of trauma, across the dissociative spectrum, starting with foster care and domestic violence and now works with adult survivors of childhood abuse, including former cult members and individuals with DID. Faige has studied extensively the art and science of trauma work, by training in specific modalities that treat trauma, including EMDR, Somatic therapies, Polyvagal, and IFS, where she also facilitates trainings for other clinicians.

Faige studied at ISSTD’s Advanced Studies for Trauma and Dissociation and eventually joined the faculty as well. Additionally, Faige chairs the Organized and Extreme Abuse (OEA) SIG, and vice-chairs the Professional Training Program.

Faige graduated from the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy’s Trauma Studies Program, and subsequently came back as faculty to supervise and teach. She has been an active part of the Trauma Training Committee before stepping in to lead. Faige combines her knowledge, experience, passion and skills to help her supervisees, trainees, and most of all, her clients.

Yaelle Yoran, LCSW

Yaelle Yoran, LCSW works as staff therapist at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and maintains a private practice seeing clients dealing with developmental and attachment issues, abuse and sexual trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms and life transitions. Yaelle incorporates trauma modalities and mindfulness techniques, releasing techniques and somatic bodywork to assist her clients in reconnecting to themselves, heal their past wounds and connect and enhance their innate resilience. As a member of the Trauma Studies Center’s Community Education Program, Yaelle has presented trauma theory and clinical practice for The CUNY Law School and the New York State Women’s Bar Association, as well as Elmhurst hospital and other organizations interested in learning about the effect of trauma.
B-OneCoaching.com/about-us/

Nancy Payne, PhD, LCSW, MA

Nancy Payne, PhD, LCSW, MA is a trauma-trained clinician with 18 years of experience, following a career as an organizational psychologist. She maintains a private practice in the Lincoln Center area of Manhattan and works with diverse patients with complex challenges from psychodynamic, attachment, and trauma-focused perspectives, and through her work addresses the cumulative impact of intergenerational and historical trauma. Nancy worked as a research social worker in a depression study at New York State Psychiatric Institute for seven years, during which she completed the two-year Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program at ICP. In 2013, she completed the ICP Trauma Studies Training Program and a PhD in social work from NYU, where she pursued research on the impact of trauma on pregnancy with inner-city teen mothers. Nancy has published in the mood disorders and complex trauma arenas. She supervises and teaches at ICP and teaches in the NYU Silver School of Social Work Post-Graduate Clinical Track. Her certifications include EMDR and Jungian Sand Tray Therapy. She has received training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, hypnosis, and Internal Family Systems. Nancy also incorporates mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, imagery techniques, and energy work, including EFT tapping work, to assist her patients attain greater stabilization, connect to their resilience, and tap into their own resources for healing.
NancyPayneTherapy.com

Simona Yland MD, MPH, LMFT

Simona Yland MD, MPH, LMFT is a psychotherapist specializing in individual, couple and family therapy, maintaining a private practice with offices in Huntington, NY and Manhattan, NY. With over twenty years’ experience in healthcare, she is a graduate of Hofstra University specializing in marriage and family therapy, Yale University specializing in public health, and Iasi School of Medicine, with a degree in general medicine. She currently works with a broad spectrum of clients. Among her areas of expertise are trauma-specific psychotherapy including EMDR, AEDP, family and couple therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and mindfulness-based therapeutic interventions. Her research and clinical work has been presented at national and international conferences, on topics including genetics of depression and bipolar disorder, geriatric psychiatry, family therapy and DBT. She has numerous publications in peer reviewed medical psychiatric journals.
TherapyVoice.com

Rose Latino, PhD, LCSW

Rose Latino, PhD, LCSW is a graduate of the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, the Smith College School for Social Work doctoral program, the Adoption Competent training with Joyce Pavoa, and the Center for Complicated Grief program at Columbia University for the treatment of Complicated Grief. In her 25+ year career, she has worked with children, teenagers, and adults in settings ranging from outpatient substance abuse treatment, community mental health centers, school-based counseling at elementary and high schools, to home-based family therapy with indigent families. She currently has a private practice in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Lily Kim, LMHC

Lily Kim, LMHC is a graduate of NYU’s counseling program who has worked as an intake and staff therapist at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, at community mental health clinics and agencies (The Family Center and Bleuler Psychotherapy Center), and as a bereavement counselor at hospice and palliative care organizations (Visiting Nurse Services and Calvary Hospital). She currently has a private practice, seeing clients dealing with trauma and abuse, developmental trauma and attachment issues, bereavement and loss, mood disorders, chronic illness, and intercultural identity issues. She is trained in EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy.

Lana Epstein, LICSW

Lana Epstein, LICSW is an EMDRIA-approved consultant in EMDR, a senior trainer for the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, a former ASCH-approved consultant in Hypnosis, a consultant and past supervisor at the Boston Trauma Center founded by Bessel van der Kolk and was a Member of the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation Board for 6 years. Integrating a number of therapeutic models, Lana presents nationally and internationally and maintains private practices in Lexington, MA and NYC focusing on adult survivors of childhood trauma.

Gregory D. Carson, LCSW

Gregory D. Carson, LCSW is Chair of The National Institute for the Psychotherapies’ Integrative Trauma Program’s Clinical Affiliate Program as well as Co-Founder of their Trauma Group Therapy component. He is an EMDRIA Certified Consultant in EMDR, a graduate of the Somatic Experiencing Institute’s 3-year training program, graduate of the Center for Self Leadership’s 3-year training in Internal Family Systems, a graduate of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society’s 1-year training in Group Psychotherapy, has trained in IFS for Couples (IFIO) with Toni Herbine-Blank, as well as in Coherence Therapy and is in regular consultation with its creator, Bruce Ecker. He has served as faculty at The National Institute for the Psychotherapies, The Training Institute for Mental Health, and has a specific interest in teaching and promoting an integrated understanding of psychotherapeutic effectiveness. He maintains private practices in Manhattan and Montclair, NJ.
TherapyNext.com/Profile/GregoryDCarson

Hatti Figge, LCSW

Hatti Figge, LCSW maintains a small private practice addressing trauma, anxiety, depression, bereavement, and life transitions. She is also on the clinical team at The Stephen and Alexandra Cohen Military Family Clinic at NYU Langone Medical Center. Ms. Figge has been a certified and practicing yoga instructor since 2003. She has trained and volunteered as a Zen chaplain through The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care in conjunction with The Visiting Nurse Services of New York.
HattiFigge.com

Verena Salvi, LCSW

Verena Salvi, LCSW is a clinical social worker in the crime victim unit of NY Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University MC, where she provides crisis intervention and trauma-focused psychotherapy to survivors of sexual violence and intimate partner violence. In the past ten years, Ms. Salvi has worked exclusively with survivors of violent crimes, has served as a Rape Crisis Coordinator in the South Bronx and oversaw the Supervised Visitation Program in the Bronx Family Court. Ms. Salvi is an international consultant to Women’s Crisis Care International, the first and only Rape Crisis Center of its kind in the Middle East region, and a freelance consultant and trainer for the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault. Ms. Salvi incorporates different trauma treatment modalities in her work, with an emphasis on body-oriented and memory reconsolidation techniques; she is trained in EMDR, IFS and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at Columbia University.

Mary Dove, LCSW

Mary Dove, LCSW is Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Narrative Studies, a hub for learning and community on the rich content of the narrative therapy approach and the first independent narrative therapy center in New York. Mary is a Licensed Psychotherapist with over a decade of clinical experience. With a private practice in Chelsea, she also provides psychotherapy at The Juilliard School Counseling Services. In 2013, Mary founded Lean In NYC, and is currently on the Executive Board, a community organization with over 6,000 members and she facilitated over 30 educational events challenging the dominate narrative for women. In 2017, Mary started the Change Makers Project, a portrait and story project spotlighting women revolutionizing change. As the producer, Mary brought together a talented team and created The Change Makers book published in 2019 and also partnered with Hudson Guild for an exhibition of the portraits and educational events with the teen youth program.
DoveCounseling.com

Amelia Yankey, LCSW

Amelia Yankey, LCSW is a therapist in Brooklyn primarily working with individuals and couples in the queer and trans community. Before working as a therapist, she worked for many years with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and with people who were homeless, experiences which cemented her belief that capitalism, racism, and other hierarchies are fundamentally opposed to human well-being. Amelia strives to be a part of the collective movement for justice and an end to all hierarchies in every aspect of life. She works with narrative therapy with the hope that it might be a part of applying that liberatory aim to the therapeutic relationship.
AmeliaYankeyTherapy.com

Mark Nickerson, LICSW

Mark Nickerson, LICSW is a psychotherapist, clinical consultant and trainer who has practiced in the Amherst, MA region for 35 years, with an expertise in trauma treatment. He is an EMDR Institute Trainer and EMDRIA Approved Consultant, past Board President of the EMDR International Association and is currently Chair of the Clinical Practice Group of the Council of Scholars Future of EMDR Project. He is the Director of EMDR Advanced Training and Distance Learning, LLC.
markinickerson.com

EXPLORE OURTRAUMASTUDIES CENTER