upcoming opportunities for consultation & continuing education
Leveraging Shame to Address Ruptures and Improve Psychotherapy Outcomes
Friday, May 8th 2026, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM EST
Interactive webinar through the Pennsylvania Psychological Association
3 CE credits | Register Here
relational and Shame-informed practice
Becoming shame-informed has transformed the way I work with clients in allowing me to see the ways shame is lurking in moments of rupture, confusion and disconnect so I can address the shame both in myself and the client. Being an effective, relational and shame-informed therapist is not a matter of being a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ therapist – a myth both implicitly and explicitly communicated to us during our training and beyond – but a matter of training, reflective capacity, and ongoing consultation.
Every time I have offered a workshop or consultation group, I ask the participant clinicians if they had any formal introduction or education in shame during their graduate training. With few exceptions, the answer has been a resounding ‘no’ regardless of years in practice, type of training they received, or where they trained.
I too did not have training in shame during graduate school, both in class and during my practicums, internship or postdoctoral fellowship. I was lucky enough to have a handful of wonderful, gifted supervisors and also clients who taught me about presence, compassion, and authenticity. But shame was left out of the mix.
Why does shame matter? Isn’t a focus on attachment, connection and a strong therapeutic alliance enough?
Shame is hard in many ways. It is a challenge to define: complex, painful but also necessary. It leads us to avoid, hide, and lash out against others and ourselves. Left to chance, we are likely to overlook it. That is why I find a specific, intentional focus on shame is necessary to ensure therapeutic growth happens.
A world without shame is a world without boundaries and a world without trust and connection. Ignoring shame does not make it go away. In fact, ignoring it almost always makes matters more painful and stuck. Now that I have been working with shame for over seven years while continually educating myself and obtaining my own training in working with shame, I believe that zooming in on shame in the therapeutic relationship means getting to the heart of the matter of what brings clients in to psychotherapy.
offerings
Individual Consultation/Supervision: I offer ongoing or as needed consultation to mental health professionals as well as supervision. See the FAQ’s section for more information on the differences and which modality best suits your needs.
Consultation Groups: These are small groups of 3-5 clinicians. Typically each meeting is a blend of some didactic material as it relates to shame-informed practice and opportunity to work on specific shame-events in psychotherapy.
Consultation Services for Group Practices: I help group practices seeking to provide training and consultation for their clinicians. With the input of the group leader and the team, I craft focused sessions based on needs and challenges. I also offer group rates for trainings which can include follow-up consultation sessions to help the group further integrate skills and explore relevant clinical topics.
Presentations and Trainings: Many organizations benefit from learning about shame, how it impacts the relationships with those being served, and among staff and between leadership and staff. I create tailored trainings that allow for deep reflection, skill development and collaborative learning to enhance self-awareness and systems level thinking.
FAQ's
Who are your trainings and consultation groups for?
At this time, my offerings are for licensed and pre-licensed psychotherapists from all training backgrounds: psychology, psychiatry, social work, counseling and marriage and family therapy. Graduate students are also welcome to register.
If I am a [CBT, ACT, psychoanalytic, humanistic, behavioral, Gestalt…] therapist, will your trainings and groups be a good fit?
Relational and shame-informed approaches are transtheoretical! Shame doesn’t discriminate and thus it is at the core of any therapeutic rupture or impasse. As therapists, we are quite vulnerable to professional shame because we are compassionate and caring. When we feel confused, stuck, angry or disconnected from our clients it goes directly to the heart of our identity – aren’t we supposed to be loving and caring all the time? What kind of therapist feels disdain for their clients from time to time? These feelings in us are a tag that something has shaken our professional identity and we are struggling with inadequacy and insecurity. This interferes with our ability to show up authentically regardless of our theoretical approach.
I actually welcome clinicians from a mix of training backgrounds. It helps the group recognize just how ubiquitous shame is and the range of approaches to address it effectively.
Do you offer 1:1 consultation and/or supervision?
Yes! Feel welcome to reach out to me by email at keren@drkerensofer.com to schedule a call to discuss your needs.
What is the difference between supervision and consultation? Do you offer supervision for required hours for licensure?
Supervision and consultation are different. Supervision is a formal ongoing relationship that typically is required for pre-licensed or licensed professionals seeking to be independent practitioners. It requires documentation and the supervisor holds legal and ethical responsibility for the care received by the supervisee’s clients, who are also informed about the supervisory relationship. Supervisors are also usually in an evaluative role.
Consultation on the other hand is voluntary, not fulfilling a licensure or training requirement and does not require consent from one’s clients as long as the information shared for the purpose of clinical enhancement is HIPPA compliant.
My consultation groups are for licensed clinicians. If pre-licensed clinicians wish to join, we must be clear that the group is not a replacement for required supervisory hours and is not serving as supervision. I am open to entering into a supervisory agreement for 1:1 supervision with thorough discussion of my evaluative role and administrative expectations.
testimonials
Consultation Group Participant: “What distinguishes this consultation group is the depth of learning that happens in a remarkably short time. Through short, focused case snapshots, we gain tremendous insight into shame dynamics and how they show up in ourselves and our clients. Keren consistently models counter-shaming in the moment and creates opportunities for experiential practice, making the work immediate and transformative. I leave each session with tools I can use right away in my practice as well as my life.” -E.B., Psychologist
1:1 Consultation: “Working with Keren over the years has been the best decision I’ve made professionally. She is non-judgmental, empathic, knowledgeable, and skilled. Keren is able to provide guidance with navigating difficult client situations and offers alternative perspectives and options in times when I’ve been stuck. In the last few years, we have largely focused on shame and through understanding and working through my own with Keren, it has shifted my work with clients in a very positive direction. Working through shame has allowed me to become a different therapist and to gain a great deal of confidence as well. Though it can sometimes feel challenging and vulnerable to speak about shame, Keren is able to create a comfortable and safe environment for me to do so. If you are looking to deepen your understanding of shame and how it weaves into your work as a clinician, Keren is the one to talk to!” – L.T., Psychologist
Tailored Training for a Group Therapy Practice: “Dr. Sofer did a seminar on shame in couples for our team of psychologists at Philadelphia Couples Therapy, and it’s been consistently valuable in how we work with our clients. Her model of the clinical treatment of shame is both parsimonious and far-reaching in its scope, and we have successfully used it in supervision and in our direct clinical work. Dr. Sofer is a brilliant teacher and I believe the field will be enriched by her work.” -Dr. Anna Hiatt Nicholaides
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest and financial support: There is no financial support or any potential conflict of interest or commercial support related to Keren Sofer Psy.D. PC’s programs. No individuals who have the ability to control or influence the content of this program have a relevant relationship with any commercial interest, including but not limited to members of the continuing education committee, speakers, presenters, authors, and/or content reviewers.