News Blog

Dear Ackerman Community, It is with great sorrow that the Ackerman Institute for the Family shares the news of the peaceful passing of devoted member of the Board of Directors, Linda Ellen Pepis Dishy. Linda passed away at her home on the morning of May 9, 2026. An exceptional clinician and trusted confidant, Linda dedicated

Quarterly Insights As the year continues to unfold, I find myself feeling both energized and gracious—for the people, the conversations, and the steady momentum building across the Institute. This past quarter has been a powerful reminder of what makes Ackerman special: thoughtful engagement, commitment to training the next generation, and shared devotion to families and

We are proud to announce that Dr. Martha Edwards, Director of the Ackerman Institute’s Center for the Developing Child & Family, will be a featured keynote speaker at this year’s annual Profectum conference. The conference, titled “Deepening the DIR® Perspective: A Focus On Families,” aligns with Profectum’s mission to advance development and progress (from the

Quarterly Insights This fall marks an extraordinary moment in Ackerman’s journey. As we celebrate our 65th year, we are full steam ahead, preparing for our gala —honoring our legacy, and building the future together. It is a season of pride and momentum, and I am thrilled to share some of the highlights with you. We

We are proud to celebrate Amita Lal, who has been named a Teaching Fellow in Ackerman’s Foundations of Family Therapy program. Amita is a 2024 graduate of the Clinical Externship in Family Therapy, where she distinguished herself as a thoughtful, committed clinician and learner. Amita shared her excitement and gratitude for this new role, writing:

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Kiran Shahreen Kaur Arora has joined the Ackerman Institute for the Family as our new Vice President of Training and Student Life, on Monday, September 2. Dr. Arora is a distinguished educator, trainer, clinician, and leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing family therapy teaching, training,

Ackerman Relational Approach (ARA) The Center for the Ackerman Relational Approach held a full-day introduction to the Ackerman Relational Approach (ARA) workshop on October 5th for practicum students and other clinic therapists. The group engaged enthusiastically with the model and its applications in practice. The Ackerman Relational Approach is a systemic framework that emphasizes relational

First Issue of Ackerman’s Newsletter  Dear Ackerman Community, It’s an honor to greet you in this Premiere edition of our newsletter, Ackerman in Action. As we enter our 65th year, the Ackerman Institute for the Family continues to lead the field in centering relationships as the foundation for healing and change. That legacy grounds us—and

The Ackerman Institute’s Reflective Practice and Group Supervision Project provided training and support to 200 social workers and supervisors at the NYC Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood. Over the course of this year, we delivered four trainings focused on reflective practice, supervision, and creating space to process the emotional and relational complexities of

We are proud to spotlight Kerrie Mohr, a second-year extern who was recently nominated for the Sandy Chernick Memorial Scholarship—a recognition that speaks volumes about her dedication, compassion, and excellence in clinical work. Also nominated and awarded was Ambar Perez-Scroggins–congratulations to you both! To honor Kerrie Mohr, we hosted a scholarship reception where Marybeth Jordan,