At the Core

An AEDP & Complex-Trauma learning community for early career clinicians

Come join us

The early years of clinical work can feel isolating and overwhelming—hours of client sessions with little guidance. At the Core is designed to change that.

Over 25 weeks and six immersive modules, we’ll explore AEDP and complex trauma through theory, video, case work, and experiential practice, crafting a foundation that lets you show up fully and with heart.

This is a place to grow your own therapist voice - authentic and unique - and deeply rooted in theory and sound practice.

Deep Experiential Learning

Come Find your People

Bubble baths and work-life balance notwithstanding, the best protection against burnout is being part of a trusted, caring, professional community. This group offers connection and support during the demanding and often lonely early years of clinical work and aims to undo your clinical aloneness.

 Modules

  • We’ll dive into what it means to orient towards healing from the get-go and how to ignite the internal script to heal from trauma. We’ll learn to track transformance glimmers and practice showing up present and available. We’ll privilege the positive and make space for the new and different experience. We’ll unpack what undoing aloneness means and feels like.

  • We’ll explore the language of our attachment system and practice “talking” to it. We’ll conceptualize the Triangle of Experience (states 1&2 in AEDP) and immerse ourselves in the theory and practice of moment-to-moment tracking using the SANER Protocol. We’ll focus on how to invite clients to stay in their affective experiences while feeling safe and connected.

  • Sometimes loving and appreciating the defense is not enough for the defense to make space. We’ll explore being brave, present and persistent in the face of strong defenses. We’ll learn techniques for working with defenses that don’t easily make space: pressuring with empathy, challenging defenses, negotiating with defenses, restructuring defenses, parts work and relational interventions.

  • We’ll learn to identify respond to and transform maladaptive affects—such as toxic shame, hopelessness, and helplessness—into adaptive, core emotional experiences. We’ll explore what it’s like to join clients in the pit of the trauma. We’ll explore the contagious aspects of these affects and learn how to maintain hope. We’ll explore AEDP’s tool to work with these and learn to work with our clients’ and our own receptive affective capacities.

  • We’ll understand how AEDP uses exposure principles to heal from trauma, and how to approach traumatic memories from a relational approach. We’ll discuss the relationship between PTSD, C-PTSD and relational trauma. We’ll discuss the role of self-compassion and acceptance in healing from trauma. We’ll explore the significance of mourning the self, and discuss what integration looks like.

  • We’ll explore metaprocessing and revel in what transformance looks and feels like. We’ll learn to identify and make space for these phenomena as they emerge. We’ll learn the markers of AEDP’s states 3&4 and practice staying with them.

Licensure Level Standard Monthly Discounted (Paid in Full)
Year 0–1
(Licensed within past year)
$75/session		 $1,875 $312.50 $1,781.25
Year 2–3
(Licensed 1–3 years)
$85/session		 $2,125 $354.17 $2,018.75
Fully Licensed
(3+ years)
$95/session		 $2,375 $395.83 $2,256.25

Program Structure

  • Dates: October 9, 2025 – May 14, 2026.(excluding holidays, see detailed schedule below)

  • Thursdays 10:30–12:00 EST.

  • Format: Weekly 90-minute Zoom sessions

  • Modules: 6 themed learning modules

  • Extras: Guest speakers, optional reading list, and one individual supervision session offered at the price of your tier.

  • Group opening is contingent on sufficient enrollment.

Who It’s For

This group is open to clinicians in their first 0–5 years post-licensure, with no prerequisites. If you’re ready to deepen your skills and grow in community, this group is for you. If you’re not sure - get in touch, let’s discuss!

Fee Structure (Sliding by Post-Licensure Year)

The price bracket is based on the date you received your license. Each bracket covers 25 sessions total.

Payment Options

  1. Monthly Billing – Fees are split into 6 equal monthly payments based on your fee bracket (see above). Payment is due at the start of each month.

  2. Upfront Payment with Discount – A 5% discount is available to participants who pay for the full program before the group begins.

Attendance Commitment

This group is a closed cohort, designed to foster depth, trust, and continuity. When you join, you're not just signing up for a series of sessions — you're committing to a shared learning process with a consistent group of peers. Fees are collected with the understanding that your spot is reserved for you for the full 25-session cycle, and missed sessions are not refundable. While of course life happens and occasional absences are understandable, your presence matters. The learning builds week to week, and the group becomes something we co-create together.

About the Trainer

As a longtime educator at NYU’s MSW program, certified AEDP therapist and supervisor, former clinical supervisor at the Crime Victims Treatment Center, faculty at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies, and a member of AEDP Institute’s Education Committee, I’m an experienced trainer who is passionate about creating learning spaces that are intellectually alive and emotionally meaningful. I have trained and supervised staff members in many organizations including Mt. Sinai Hospital, The Wise Center, KIP therapy, MyTherapyNYC, Footsteps and many others.

Detailed Schedule

Thursday Date Thursday Topic
Thursday, October 09, 2025 Orientation & Getting to Know Each Other
Thursday, October 16, 2025 Module 1: Theory: "Healing from the Get Go"
Igniting the internal script to heal from trauma, the new and different experience, dyadic regulation, transformance glimmers, showing up present and brave for our clients from the first interaction.
Thursday, October 23, 2025 Module 1: Tape – First sessions in AEDP
Thursday, October 30, 2025 Module 1: Case Presentation by group member
Thursday, November 06, 2025 Module 1: Experiential – Affirming interventions and dyadic affect tracking
Thursday, November 13, 2025 Module 2: Theory: "Stay with it" – Speaking “attachment language”
Operationalizing Attachment, Triangle of Experience, SANER model, inviting client to stay in the pain together.
Thursday, November 20, 2025 Module 2: Tape – Deepening emotional experiences in less defended clients
Thursday, December 04, 2025 Module 2: Case Presentation by group member
Thursday, December 11, 2025 Module 2: Experiential – Tracking, mirroring, experiential language
Thursday, January 08, 2026 Module 3: Theory: "And if you didn’t do that?” – Defense Work
Beyond loving the defense – strategies and interventions for defenses that won’t easily make space.
Thursday, January 15, 2026 Module 3: Tape – Working with a more protected client
Thursday, January 22, 2026 Module 3: Case Presentation by group member
Thursday, January 29, 2026 Module 3: Experiential – Role plays, working with defenses
Thursday, February 05, 2026 Module 4: Theory: "Not All That Glitters is Gold" – Working with maladaptive emotions
Working with the pit of the trauma, toxic shame, hopelessness and helplessness, identifying and transforming maladaptive emotions, receptive affective capacity.
Thursday, February 12, 2026 Module 4: Tape – Transforming maladaptive emotions with a client
Thursday, February 26, 2026 Module 4: Case Presentation by group member
Thursday, March 05, 2026 Module 4: Experiential – Working with our receptive affective capacities
Thursday, March 12, 2026 Module 5: Theory: "Hard and Right" – Working with PTSD and C-PTSD
What is trauma processing? AEDP as exposure therapy, self-compassion, mourning the self.
Thursday, March 19, 2026 Module 5: Tape – Trauma exposure and processing in AEDP
Thursday, March 26, 2026 Module 5: Case Presentation by group member
Thursday, April 16, 2026 Module 5: Guest Lecture – Psychedelics, PTSD and integration
Thursday, April 23, 2026 Module 6: Theory: “What’s it Like?”
AEDP states 3 & 4, Transformational processes, Metaprocessing, Integration.
Thursday, April 30, 2026 Module 6: Tape – Transformance in action
Thursday, May 7, 2026 Module 6: Case Presentation by group member
Thursday, May 14, 2026 Module 6: Experiential – Metatherapeutic processing and integration