Ackerman Institute for the Family

A beautiful day of learning, reflection, and celebration at Ackerman.

Our Clinical Externship Capstone Presentations are an important milestone for our externs as they reflect on their clinical growth and demonstrate how they are integrating the Ackerman Relational Approach into their work with couples and families.

The capstone offers space for our externs to think deeply about relational practice, their development as clinicians, and the many ways identity, family dynamics, culture, and connection shape therapeutic work.

We are so proud of this year’s externs and grateful to our faculty, supervisors, and leadership for guiding and supporting them throughout their training.

Congratulations to our externs on this meaningful accomplishment.

Too many families can't access the mental health care they need. Help us change that. 💙

We've raised $11,125 toward our $100,000 goal — every gift by June 30 makes a difference.

Support Ackerman's Annual Fund → ackerman.org/donate

Every clinical intervention is shaped not only by theory and training, but also by our values, experiences, assumptions, and relational presence.

Join us for a free live online clinical conversation exploring the role of self-awareness, ethics, and reflective practice in therapeutic work.

**Cultivating Reflective Practice: Ethics, Values, and the Use of Self in Therapy**
with **Genoveva Garcia, LCSW**

Through experiential exercises, reflection, and discussion, participants will explore:

• How personal values influence clinical decision-making
• Ethical dilemmas through a relational and systemic lens
• The impact of therapist presence on therapeutic relationships
• Reflective and culturally responsive clinical practice

This workshop is ideal for therapists, social workers, counselors, case managers, students, and community practitioners seeking to deepen their self-awareness and strengthen ethical clinical practice.

✨ **FREE Workshop**
🎓 **3 FREE CE Contact Hours**

📅 June 26, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
💻 Live Online

Facilitated by **Genoveva Garcia, LCSW**, Director of the Latinx Youth & Family Immigration Project (LYFIP) and faculty member at the Ackerman Institute for the Family.

Register today: https://www.ackerman.org/events/cultivating-reflective-practice-ethics-values-and-the-use-of-self-in-therapy/?

June is Pride Month.

At Ackerman, we recognize that mental health, identity, relationships, and family systems are deeply connected.

For LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families, affirming care means creating space for safety, belonging, connection, and dignity.

This month, we celebrate LGBTQ+ communities and reaffirm the importance of relational care that honors the full context of people’s lives, identities, and relationships.

Family therapists know that behavior doesn't happen in a vacuum.

Relationships, roles, patterns, and environments all influence how individuals function within a family system.

Join Ana Hernandez, LMFT, PhD for a foundational workshop that will strengthen your ability to assess family dynamics through a systemic lens.

Introduction to General Systems Theory: Foundations for Family Therapy Practice

In this practical 90-minute training, you'll learn how to:

• Recognize relational patterns and feedback loops

• Understand how family systems shape behavior

• Move beyond individual-focused assessment

• Build a stronger foundation in family therapy theory and practice

Whether you're a student, trainee, early-career clinician, or seasoned professional looking to revisit the foundations, this workshop offers essential tools you can immediately apply in your clinical work.

📅 June 3, 2026

🕛 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET

💻 Live Online

🎓 1.5 CE Contact Hours

Perfect for a lunchtime learning session.

Learn more & register:

https://www.ackerman.org/events/introduction-to-general-systems-theory/?

Who are you in the therapy room?

Our values, experiences, assumptions, and relational patterns all shape the way we show up clinically — often in ways we may not immediately recognize.

Join us for a free live online clinical conversation exploring reflective practice, ethics, and the therapist’s use of self in therapeutic work.

Cultivating Reflective Practice: Ethics, Values, and the Use of Self in Therapy with Genoveva Garcia, LCSW

Through experiential and reflective exercises, participants will explore:

• Personal values and therapist presence

• Ethical dilemmas in clinical work

• Relational dynamics and multiple perspectives

• Reflective and culturally responsive practice

This workshop is designed for therapists, social workers, counselors, students, and clinicians seeking a deeper understanding of the relational and ethical processes that shape therapeutic work.

✨ Free Workshop

🎓 3 FREE CE Credits

📅 June 26, 2026

🕙 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET

💻 Live Online

Learn more & register:

https://www.ackerman.org/events/cultivating-reflective-practice-ethics-values-and-the-use-of-self-in-therapy/?

Too many families can't access the mental health care they need. Ackerman Institute is changing that by training clinicians, expanding bilingual care, and working toward serving 1,000+ families annually by 2027.

Support the Annual Fund by June 30 here: ackerman.org/donate

Want to strengthen your family therapy foundation without committing to a full-day training?

Join us during your lunch break for a practical and foundational workshop designed to help clinicians think more systemically in their work with individuals, couples, and families.

**Introduction to General Systems Theory**
*Foundations for Family Therapy Practice*
with **Ana Hernandez, LMFT, PhD**

This 90-minute live online workshop explores how patterns, relationships, roles, and environments shape behavior — and how systems thinking can deepen clinical understanding and intervention.

Perfect for:
• Early-career clinicians
• Therapists new to family systems work
• Students and trainees
• Clinicians looking for a stronger theoretical foundation

📅 June 3, 2026
🕛 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
💻 Live Online
🎓 1.5 CE Contact Hours

A quick and meaningful CE opportunity during the workday.

Learn more & register:
https://www.ackerman.org/events/introduction-to-general-systems-theory/?

Families can't wait for care that speaks their language.

This fall, Ackerman is changing that: 8 university partnerships, expanded bilingual care, and a path to 1,000+ families treated annually by 2027 — triple our current reach.

Give by June 30 → ackerman.org/donate

Mental health does not exist in isolation.

Our relationships shape how we connect, communicate, and heal.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re recognizing the importance of relational care — supporting couples and families by looking beyond individual symptoms and understanding the patterns, contexts, and systems that shape people’s lives.

At Ackerman, this work is grounded in the Ackerman Relational Approach: a systemic, collaborative, and non-pathologizing framework for therapy.