frequently asked questions about training
What training is available?
We are happy to provide various training topics and training formats, which can be flexibly combined to suit your goals. See our website page on how to set up a training. Our training topics include Seeking Safety, fidelity rating, supervisor training, gender-based recovery, trauma-informed care, and more. Our training formats include on-site training, DVD training, fidelity training, supervisor training, theme-based consultation calls, and general phone consultation. We also provide training and three levels of certification for programs, which are optional for general implementation but required for publishable research studies. You can also attend an upcoming training listed in our calendar, obtain a Teaching Guide to help introduce Seeking Safety to your agency, read from our library about implementation.
Who can attend a training?
Anyone can attend. Seeking Safety, for example, has been found to be an extremely safe model. No specific degree, license, or experience is required to conduct Seeking Safety or to attend a training on it. Training can also be helpful to administrators, policy makers, and others who may be interested in learning but may not be planning to conduct the model. Such people may want to attend just the first part of the training (day 1, morning) and then others who will conduct the model would attend the full length of the training. As there is no limit on the number who can attend a training, the more the better-- helping everyone in an agency become trauma-informed and learn about Seeking Safety can be a wonderful way to build sustainability.
Who can conduct training?
We have a training team of experts certified to conduct training on Seeking Safety and other topics; Lisa Najavits also conducts training. All of our team can conduct webinars and travel to other locations. All have been trained by Lisa to conduct the same training she does, using the same slides, videos, and exercises, and are directly supervised by her. With regard to train-the-trainer see the next FAQ below regarding that. Note that the Seeking Safety training is trademarked and only our team provides the certified training. This is because we don't require training except for research that will be made publicly available (see next FAQ); so when training is provided we want to ensure it's high quality. We often create partnerships, collaborations, and cohosting for training, however, so contact us if you're interested in that ([email protected]). We also welcome inquiries from people who are interested in joining our training team as
certified trainers.
Is a train-the-trainer option available?
We are happy to offer a Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency. This guide can be used by anyone to introduce the model within your agency. The facilitator can be anyone who wants to help bring others on board to learn about the model within their agency. It's a great way to create sustainability. But no one can be charged to attend; the person cannot call themselves a trainer; and this can't be provided outside your own agency unless there's advance written permission from [email protected]. In short, we do not offer a train-the-trainer option as our goal is to ensure the quality of training. We do have trainers who are directly supervised by us and certified by us to deliver training using our training materials (slides, etc., which are copyrighted and service-marked). See About Us for our list of certified trainers and also information on becoming a certified trainer with us. Please note too that we don't require training (except for research studies) although we highly recommend it as it provides a wonderful way to learn about the model. We also currently offer many options on training, including onsite training, training videos, webinars, and consultation calls that can be used alone or with any of those other options (see our Training page). It can also be helpful to become certified; this is not required (unless research is being conducted), we offer three levels of certification to help support high-quality work.
Is certification required?
Our goal is to create as few obstacles as possible for implementation and we have never heard of adverse events with Seeking Safety (it is a very safe model). Thus, certification is not a requirement for routine implementation (but is required for any research where the results will be published or made publicly available). However, certification can also be very helpful for regular clinical implementation to verify and improve the quality of delivery of Seeking Safety. We offer three levels of certification.
Is training and/or fidelity required?
We require training and fidelity only for research that will be made public (e.g., published or posted online). But training and/or fidelity assessment can be very helpful. Training is a great way to provide an overview of the model, to inspire confidence in using it, and to address implementation issues. Training is offered in various ways; see next FAQ. However anyone can also go ahead and just use the model on their own with the book, without formal training; this has been done so successfully for over 20 years and we have not heard of any adverse events when done in this way.
What does training cost?
We have regular one day trainings that anyone can attend; the cost is listed on our open trainings
page. If you would like to organize a training at your site, please see our training information page, which includes current costs.
What are training options?
Training options include the following. See also our Training page for more detail on virtual and in person training options.
Where can I find an existing Seeking Safety training?
See the calendar on our training page.
Can I get into a training that is listed as "closed"?
Thanks for your interest. Unfortunately, any training listed as "closed" does not allow people outside the agency to attend. Please keep checking our Training page calendar as new trainings are being set up all the time, and there may be one set up in your area that is open to the public.
Do you provide fidelity monitoring?
Yes. We can also train and certify people on your team to rate fidelity (see our certifications page). Our fidelity training and/or monitoring can be done via phone or onsite. Fidelity monitoring or training is required for research that will be published or made publicly available; and it is an often desired by non-research programs to determine that clinicians are conducting the model with high quality. The clinicians would tape one or more sessions or do a role-play with one of our team, and this work sample would be rated on the Seeking Safety Adherence Scale (also known as a fidelity scale). The clinician receives feedback over the phone and the clinician and/or program can receive the completed adherence scale. Our goal with this certification process is to provide clinically-useful feedback based on real samples of sessions. Once clinicians achieve strong fidelity, they can be identified as “certified.” Note too that we can train others to do fidelity monitoring, which is the lowest-cost way to do it. This involves having a designated person(s) at your location, who receive training on how to use the fidelity scale and then co-rate tapes with one of our associates to verify equivalent ratings. It is generally a quick process. Contact us to learn more about our fidelity options..
We are happy to provide various training topics and training formats, which can be flexibly combined to suit your goals. See our website page on how to set up a training. Our training topics include Seeking Safety, fidelity rating, supervisor training, gender-based recovery, trauma-informed care, and more. Our training formats include on-site training, DVD training, fidelity training, supervisor training, theme-based consultation calls, and general phone consultation. We also provide training and three levels of certification for programs, which are optional for general implementation but required for publishable research studies. You can also attend an upcoming training listed in our calendar, obtain a Teaching Guide to help introduce Seeking Safety to your agency, read from our library about implementation.
Who can attend a training?
Anyone can attend. Seeking Safety, for example, has been found to be an extremely safe model. No specific degree, license, or experience is required to conduct Seeking Safety or to attend a training on it. Training can also be helpful to administrators, policy makers, and others who may be interested in learning but may not be planning to conduct the model. Such people may want to attend just the first part of the training (day 1, morning) and then others who will conduct the model would attend the full length of the training. As there is no limit on the number who can attend a training, the more the better-- helping everyone in an agency become trauma-informed and learn about Seeking Safety can be a wonderful way to build sustainability.
Who can conduct training?
We have a training team of experts certified to conduct training on Seeking Safety and other topics; Lisa Najavits also conducts training. All of our team can conduct webinars and travel to other locations. All have been trained by Lisa to conduct the same training she does, using the same slides, videos, and exercises, and are directly supervised by her. With regard to train-the-trainer see the next FAQ below regarding that. Note that the Seeking Safety training is trademarked and only our team provides the certified training. This is because we don't require training except for research that will be made publicly available (see next FAQ); so when training is provided we want to ensure it's high quality. We often create partnerships, collaborations, and cohosting for training, however, so contact us if you're interested in that ([email protected]). We also welcome inquiries from people who are interested in joining our training team as
certified trainers.
Is a train-the-trainer option available?
We are happy to offer a Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency. This guide can be used by anyone to introduce the model within your agency. The facilitator can be anyone who wants to help bring others on board to learn about the model within their agency. It's a great way to create sustainability. But no one can be charged to attend; the person cannot call themselves a trainer; and this can't be provided outside your own agency unless there's advance written permission from [email protected]. In short, we do not offer a train-the-trainer option as our goal is to ensure the quality of training. We do have trainers who are directly supervised by us and certified by us to deliver training using our training materials (slides, etc., which are copyrighted and service-marked). See About Us for our list of certified trainers and also information on becoming a certified trainer with us. Please note too that we don't require training (except for research studies) although we highly recommend it as it provides a wonderful way to learn about the model. We also currently offer many options on training, including onsite training, training videos, webinars, and consultation calls that can be used alone or with any of those other options (see our Training page). It can also be helpful to become certified; this is not required (unless research is being conducted), we offer three levels of certification to help support high-quality work.
Is certification required?
Our goal is to create as few obstacles as possible for implementation and we have never heard of adverse events with Seeking Safety (it is a very safe model). Thus, certification is not a requirement for routine implementation (but is required for any research where the results will be published or made publicly available). However, certification can also be very helpful for regular clinical implementation to verify and improve the quality of delivery of Seeking Safety. We offer three levels of certification.
Is training and/or fidelity required?
We require training and fidelity only for research that will be made public (e.g., published or posted online). But training and/or fidelity assessment can be very helpful. Training is a great way to provide an overview of the model, to inspire confidence in using it, and to address implementation issues. Training is offered in various ways; see next FAQ. However anyone can also go ahead and just use the model on their own with the book, without formal training; this has been done so successfully for over 20 years and we have not heard of any adverse events when done in this way.
What does training cost?
We have regular one day trainings that anyone can attend; the cost is listed on our open trainings
page. If you would like to organize a training at your site, please see our training information page, which includes current costs.
What are training options?
Training options include the following. See also our Training page for more detail on virtual and in person training options.
- Open webinars that anyone can attend. We offer monthly 1-day Seeking Safety webinars, as well as other topics several times a year (Advanced Seeking Safety, Creating Change, the Adolescent Toolkit for Seeking Safety, and Finding Your Best Self). These are highly interactive and clinically oriented.
- Virtual or on-site training for your agency by Lisa and associates. It can be conducted in any length. Typically it ranges from one day to two days, and we offer the training on various topics. See our Topics page for descriptions and agendas. All of our trainings can be adapted to focus on particular client populations (adolescents, military or veterans, prisoners, gender-based, interpersonal violence, etc.). There is ample time for question-and-answer, and discussion is encouraged. There is no limit on the number of people who can attend a training. Presentations at professional conferences are often shorter, such as a panel or workshop. We provide trainings all over the US and internationally.
- Video training. Four and a half hours of training videos are available.
- Phone / Zoom consultation can be used either after a training or on its own. It provides support for clinicians who are implementing Seeking Safety and/or our other models. See our Consultation page. You can do as few or many sessions as desired.
- Certification is also available for programs or researchers who want to determine that clinicians are conducting the model with strong fidelity. See our Certification page, which describes the three types we offer. However, none of these are required to conduct or offer Seeking Safety. It is a very safe model even when conducted without any certification. It is an extremely safe model to conduct, even without any certification, and we strongly value a public health goal of providing easy access to Seeking Safety (i.e., making it easy to use and implement at very low cost).
- Teaching guide. The Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency.is designed for a Seeking Safety champion– someone who wants to help staff within an agency learn about Seeking Safety. But please note this is not train-the-trainer, and the person cannot identify themselves as a trainer. We do have certified trainers listed in the About Us section of our website and we can guarantee the quality of their work.
- The Teaching Guide to Introduce Seeking Safety to Your Agency is used in conjunction with the Seeking Safety Training Videos. You will need to have or order the videos to use the teaching guide.
- HIV guide. This guide was written to help HIV/AIDS clients and clinicians in their use of Seeking Safety. The HIV guide is 41 single-spaced pages. It was written by Lisa Najavits as part of a project for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Health, Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. For each topic of Seeking Safety, it provides several pages of client handouts that can be used in conjunction with the regular Seeking Safety book handouts. Pages can be copied for your clinical work with your own clients. It also includes resources for clinicians and background on the intersection between HIV/AIDS, trauma, and substance abuse. Click on the link to obtain the HIV guide. This guide is designed to be used with the Seeking Safety book. You can obtain the Seeking Safety book here.
- Online training. Thank you for your interest in online training related to Seeking Safety. We have 6 courses: 4 are related to the Seeking Safety videos, and 2 are related to the Seeking Safety book. Click here for more information.
Where can I find an existing Seeking Safety training?
See the calendar on our training page.
Can I get into a training that is listed as "closed"?
Thanks for your interest. Unfortunately, any training listed as "closed" does not allow people outside the agency to attend. Please keep checking our Training page calendar as new trainings are being set up all the time, and there may be one set up in your area that is open to the public.
Do you provide fidelity monitoring?
Yes. We can also train and certify people on your team to rate fidelity (see our certifications page). Our fidelity training and/or monitoring can be done via phone or onsite. Fidelity monitoring or training is required for research that will be published or made publicly available; and it is an often desired by non-research programs to determine that clinicians are conducting the model with high quality. The clinicians would tape one or more sessions or do a role-play with one of our team, and this work sample would be rated on the Seeking Safety Adherence Scale (also known as a fidelity scale). The clinician receives feedback over the phone and the clinician and/or program can receive the completed adherence scale. Our goal with this certification process is to provide clinically-useful feedback based on real samples of sessions. Once clinicians achieve strong fidelity, they can be identified as “certified.” Note too that we can train others to do fidelity monitoring, which is the lowest-cost way to do it. This involves having a designated person(s) at your location, who receive training on how to use the fidelity scale and then co-rate tapes with one of our associates to verify equivalent ratings. It is generally a quick process. Contact us to learn more about our fidelity options..