Lisa Ferentz, MSW, LCSW-C, DAPA

Lisa Ferentz, MSW, LCSW-C, DAPA, is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, de-pathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for over 35 years. She presents workshops and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, and is a clinical consultant to practitioners and mental health agencies in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Ireland.

Lisa has also been an adjunct faculty member at several universities. She is also the founder of The Ferentz Institute that provides continuing education to mental health professionals and has graduated over 1600 clinicians from her two Certificate Programs in Advanced Trauma Treatment.

In 2009, Lisa Ferentz was voted the Social Worker of Year by the Maryland Society for Clinical Social Work. She is the author of Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Traumatized Clients: A Clinician’s Guide, now in its second edition, Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing, and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons From the Therapist’s Couch. Lisa has also hosted a weekly radio talk show, writes blogs and articles for websites on self-harm and self-care, teaches many webinars, and is a weekly contributor to Psychologytoday.com.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Lisa Ferentz, MSW, LCSW-C, DAPA, receives a speaking honorarium from Leading Edge Seminars Inc.

https://www.theferentzinstitute.com/

Shari Karp

28 April 2026

Dr. Fletcher’s Ethical Private Practice course was informative, engaging, and highly relevant to the realities of private practice. She is clearly knowledgeable and presents the material in a practical, approachable way. I’ve already made changes in my own practice based on what I learned in the course. I would recommend it to therapists in private practice.

victoria bowman

1 April 2026

Really enjoyed the Jamie Marich EMDR Made Simple workshop, I just attended at Leading Edge. It was scholarly and entertaining and compassionate. I would highly recommend it.

Suzanne Clancy

15 February 2026

“Attended Carrie Traher's course, 'Grief and Trauma in Clinical Practice: Tools & Strategies for Evidence-Based Care' through Leading Edge Seminars. Carrie's delivery, was masterful; you could feel what it might be like to be in session with her helping someone stuck in their Grief... she certainly helped me understand mine on a whole new level. This inforation provided was a clear, evidence-based framework for working confidently and compassionately with clients whose grief is intertwined with trauma. I cannot recommend this training highly enough, it's a game changer!”

denise lawee

2 February 2026

I have attended Leading Edge programs for years. The topics are creative and the trainers are usually extremely skilled or they do not have them back again!! Never disappointed.

Patricia Barry

22 December 2025

I have attended Leading Edge Seminars for many years for continuing education related to understanding and treating patients with mental health problems. High quality experienced speakers addressing a wide variety of timely topics are available live or recorded for reasonable prices. Their courses are accredited with major professional organizations. Most recently, I found a presentation by Robert Solomon: Legal Issues In Counselling to be excellent. In my opinion it would be of value for training new clinicians as well as updating practicing mental health professionals. Pertinent legal topics such as Consent, Capacity, Substitute Consent, and Negligence were clearly addressed with updated information, excellent references and adequate opportunity to ask questions. Very well done; very interesting. I do not hesitate to recommend Leading Edge Seminars to physicians, social workers and other professionals who deal with mental health issues in their practices.

Luis F Goncalves

17 November 2025

Just attended: Navigating Retirement for Therapists with Integrity and Compassion" with Lynn Grodzki and Margaret Wehrenberg. It was very informative, pertinent and insightful. As usual, a workshop on the 'leading edge' of developments in our field.

Theresa Casteels

11 November 2025

So glad I attended the Retirement workshop with Leading Edge! The presenter's conceptualization of the process combining Stages of Change with Attachment Theory was a highly useful lens. It helped to place me solidly in Preparation for retirement which felt grounding. It will be very helpful to consider not only my client's attachment style, but my own as well. Also, new was to consider this termination process as a "forced" ending for clients. I thought of it like someone going though a break-up but it not being their idea. I also got some helpful ideas about what to add to my Professional will. Thank you!

Cheryl Berto

9 October 2025

I just attended Deb Dana's course, 'Polyvagal Theory in Clinical Practice: Healing Trauma Through Nervous System Regulation' through Leading Edge Seminars. Deb has brought into the therapy room the insights and understanding of our nervous system from the scientific work of Stephen Porges (Polyvagal Theory). It is another wonderful way to help guide clients out of survival-driven patterns and into states of safety and engagement. I highly recommend this course and anything that Deb Dana puts out to the world!

Sheryl. Trachter

6 October 2025

“I just attended Adrian Fletcher's course'Dissociative Identity Disorder in Clinical Practice: A Trauma-Informed Guide for Mental Health Professionals' through Leading Edge Seminars. The insights into how to build a more accurate, compassionate, and trauma-informed understanding of DID in my practice together with her own lived experience through diagnosis and therapy really deepened my competency in trauma-informed care. I highly recommend this course!”

Eric Lukacs

4 October 2025

I took the Supervisors Course - Already making use of it in my clinic. Very practical