Forward-Facing Institute

Forward-Facing® Freedom Online Workshop
2022-12-12 06:30 - 14:00 (America/Phoenix) | Zoom Virtual Event
It’s the holidays.
And with the meaningful times, stress can show up too. Our anxiety spikes, we’re reminded of broken relationships, and even despair sets in as painful memories intrude.
At Forward-Facing® Institute, our passion is to help everyday people heal their trauma without digging up the past with traditional psychotherapy. The Forward-Facing Freedom Workshop (based on the book!) introduces simple practices that can immediately improve your quality of life.
During the six-hour Zoom taught by course you will

Learn how trauma is something that happens inside your body
Learn skills to befriend and calm your body when it’s being bombarded by the physiological symptoms of anxiety
Understand how to stay calm when everyone and everything around you is falling apart
Learn to choose your responses to those around you instead of living in constant reaction.
Practice self-regulation skills in breakout rooms with new friends!
Write your personal Mission Statement and Code of Honor

The energetic trio of J. Eric Gentry, Jenny Brackman and Emily Hendrick bring their professional expertise and personal experiences as survivors. Please join us for this chance to invest in the 2023 version of YOU!

Evening Alumni Group
2022-12-06 17:00 - 18:15, 2022-11-29 17:00 - 18:15, 2022-11-15 17:00 - 18:15, 2022-11-08 17:00 - 18:15, 2022-11-01 17:00 - 18:15, 2022-10-25 17:00 - 18:15, 2022-10-18 17:00 - 18:15, 2022-10-11 17:00 - 18:15 and 7 more dates | Zoom Virtual Event
Prerequisite for this group is to have completed Forward-Facing® ME: Personal Engagement Group.
This group is hosted by J. Eric Gentry, PhD
5PM AZ/6PM MT/7PM CT/8PM ET

Dr. Gentry’s Professional Forum
2022-11-29 15:00 - 16:30, 2022-10-18 15:00 - 16:30, 2022-09-20 15:00 - 16:30 | Zoom Virtual Event
Are you struggling to implement Forward-Facing® principles and skills into your therapy and/or coaching practice? Do you have clients with whom you know Forward-Facing® would be helpful but cannot seem to get it delivered to them in a way that is palatable? Are you unsure when and how to introduce Forward-Facing® to your clients? Would you like some support and assistance practicing and mastering Forward-Facing® in your own professional and personal lives? Would you like to develop a support network of other professionals who are transforming and evolving their lives with Forward-Facing®?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then the newly forming Forward-Facing® Professional Forum may be a perfect fit for you. In this small (six maximum) bi-weekly videoconference meeting of Forward-Facing® practitioners, we will work first on the development, maintenance and enhancement of our therapeutic relationships, ventral vagal connection and co-regulation with our clients. With this solidified, we will then discuss strategies for implementation and engagement with clients. Additionally, we will deep-dive into the processes for using FF as a powerful in vivo exposure for ameliorating and resolving posttraumatic stress. We will also explore the use of FF as an optimizer in the professional and personal lives of our clients and ourselves. You will also build a de facto support network of other professionals working to implement FF in their practice.
The meeting will be facilitated by Dr. Gentry, the developer of Forward-Facing®.
The Forward-Facing® Professional Forum will be offered bi-weekly and limited to six (6) participants per meeting.

Evening Alumni Group
2022-11-22 17:00 - 18:15

Forward-Facing® Face to Face: An Approach to Optimal Performance
2022-11-09 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
A Forward-Facing® Approach to Optimal Performance
When I was 11 years old, I tried out for junior league baseball. I did not make the team. It was devastating for me because I had played first string catcher and batted third in the lineup since I was eight. However, the tryouts were held the year after my parents had finalized an acrimonious divorce and I was bounced between my two parents multiple times during that year. During the tryouts, I was in the outfield and one of the coaches hit a high fly ball right to me. I was, at first, excited about catching it and redeeming myself for the poor playing I had demonstrated thus far during the tryouts. As soon as the ball was in the air, I instinctually perfectly positioned myself directly under where the ball was going to drop. However, during the three seconds the ball fell toward me I had a rapidly intensifying physiological threat response that had me double, triple, quadruple thinking my position and increasingly doubting my skills. I can still feel remnant waves of the shame I felt when the ball landed with a “plop” four inches next to my foot—can still hear the laughter of the other kids watching me fail.
How many of you can find similar experiences from your own past? Like taking an exam where you knew the material but could not recall the answers when you read the questions? Performing in front of an audience something you rehearsed many times previous and were competent when practicing but “choked” during the performance. Or getting the yips when you were competing in a sport, game or contest and finding your skills temporarily—but profoundly—diminished?
Are you interested in learning how to prevent these lapses in motor and cognitive functioning? Would you like to be able to intentionally dial-in optimal performance no matter the activity? How about being able to walk into high-demand situations and bring your confidence with you?
Well then join me at 5pm MST on November 9, 2022 as I discuss using the Forward-Facing® process to help us all perform better with less effort and greater comfort.
You will learn:

How and why “choking” and the “yips” happen – especially at the most inopportune times;
How to get to and remain in optimal performance (i.e., “flow”) on purpose;
Learn how to “psych yourself down” for optimization;
Develop skills for mitigating shame and getting back on your own team after “failure”;
How to have a little grace and laugh at ourselves.

Daytime Forward-Facing ME 7-Week Group
2022-11-01 09:30 - 11:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
Forward-Facing ME is a 7-week interactive group process designed to help the participants gain skills to live more effectively. The developers of this group have amassed a significant amount of research supporting the effectiveness of utilizing these skills to lessen the negative effects of stress in psychotherapeutic practice.
Dates
Meeting weekly on Tuesdays from November 1-December 20, taking November 22nd off (Thanksgiving week).
Time by time zone

8:30-10 PST
9:30-11 MST
10:30-12 CST
11:30-1 EST

Note: If you live in Arizona, the first two meeting will be at 8:30 AM. That is because this group is hosted in AZ and we have set the time zones and class meetings to reflect the end of daylight savings time, even though that takes place on November 4.

Module 3 of the Post-Traumatic Growth Specialist
2022-10-25 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
Module 3: 🍃 Befriending Your Nervous System, A Non-Clinical Approach To Achieving Post-Traumatic Growth🍃
Jenny Brackman and Emily Hedrick are coaches, survivors, passionate communicators and absolute nerds.
They’re designing this course, the Post-Traumatic Growth Specialist, to equip people with the skills to serve as expert companions to those who have experienced trauma.
Best of all, their non-clinical approach makes this course approachable for anyone!
*replays of this webinar will not be available

About the Presenters:
Jenny Brackman
Jenny Brackman has served Arizona children and families impacted by ACEs for over 20 years. Her formal education comes from ASU where she studied closely under Bob and Barb Weigand, pioneers in the field of infant and toddler mental health.
In 2010 she and her husband chose to be foster parents and adopted a sibling group of three from foster care. Eight years later, she believes her best education has come from parenting five children and her marriage of almost 18 years.
Motivated by her own family’s experience with compassion fatigue, Jenny founded Rezilia to bring Dr. Eric Gentry’s research on resilience to lay-people.
Jenny is currently the Vice President of the Forward-Facing® Institute creating resources to equip a new generation of leaders with resilience.
In her free time you can find Jenny spending time with her family, making kombucha, or fighting with the guys at her local Muay Thai gym.
Emily Hedrick
Emily is a former pastor who specializes in religious trauma. As a person who has survived by trying to disappear – whether through charm, compliance or simply blending into the wall – Forward Facing has helped Emily regain her sense of self and willingly share that self with others.
Emily brings her background as a pastor, writer, and ICF-credentialed coach to promote the mission of FFI. Emily is currently the Director of Operations and Innovation of the Forward-Facing® Institute. In her new role, Emily will be responsible for day-to-day operations, the development and implementation of strategies to best serve our customers, and a member of our faculty.

Module 2 of the Post-Traumatic Growth Specialist-History of Trauma Treatment
2022-10-11 09:00 - 10:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
Jenny Brackman and Emily Hedrick are coaches, survivors, passionate communicators and absolute nerds.
They’re designing this course, the Post-Traumatic Growth Specialist, to equip people with the skills to serve as expert companions to those who have experienced trauma.
Best of all, their non-clinical approach makes this course approachable for anyone!
In this module, Jenny and Emily will take us on an entertaining tour of the history of mental health care and trauma treatment, and explore why it matters to us today.
*replays of this webinar will not be available

About the Presenters:
Jenny Brackman
Jenny Brackman has served Arizona children and families impacted by ACEs for over 20 years. Her formal education comes from ASU where she studied closely under Bob and Barb Weigand, pioneers in the field of infant and toddler mental health.
In 2010 she and her husband chose to be foster parents and adopted a sibling group of three from foster care. Eight years later, she believes her best education has come from parenting five children and her marriage of almost 18 years.
Motivated by her own family’s experience with compassion fatigue, Jenny founded Rezilia to bring Dr. Eric Gentry’s research on resilience to lay-people.
Jenny is currently the Vice President of the Forward-Facing® Institute creating resources to equip a new generation of leaders with resilience.
In her free time you can find Jenny spending time with her family, making kombucha, or fighting with the guys at her local Muay Thai gym.
Emily Hedrick
Emily is a former pastor who specializes in religious trauma. As a person who has survived by trying to disappear – whether through charm, compliance or simply blending into the wall – Forward Facing has helped me regain my sense of self and willingly share that self with others. I am excited to help you discover who you want to be and develop the skills to live into enjoying that vibrant person.
Emily is currently the Director of Operations and Innovation of the Forward-Facing® Institute.

Certified Forward-Facing Coach Info Session
2022-10-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
Do you have questions about becoming a Certified Forward-Facing Health and Wellness Coach? Have you been curious about the Forward-Facing Me (FFME) 7-Week Group? Do you want to be able to facilitate your own FFME Group?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, please join Jenny October 10th at 6pm (AZ Time) to learn more about these programs.

Presenter: Jenny Brackman
Jenny Brackman has served Arizona children and families impacted by ACEs for over 20 years. Her formal education comes from ASU where she studied closely under Bob and Barb Weigand, pioneers in the field of infant and toddler mental health.
In 2010 she and her husband chose to be foster parents and adopted a sibling group of three from foster care. Eight years later, she believes her best education has come from parenting five children and her marriage of almost 18 years.
Motivated by her own family’s experience with compassion fatigue, Jenny founded Rezilia to bring Dr. Eric Gentry’s research on resilience to lay-people.
Jenny is currently the Vice President of the Forward-Facing® Institute creating resources to equip a new generation of leaders with resilience.
In her free time you can find Jenny spending time with her family, making kombucha, or fighting with the guys at her local Muay Thai gym.

Module 1 of the Post-Traumatic Growth Specialist
2022-10-04 09:00 - 10:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
We are excited to offer you an exclusive invitation to preview Module 1 for our newest course, the Post-Traumatic Growth Specialist!
This course is designed to equip paraprofessionals with the knowledge and skill to serve as expert companions to those who have experiences with ACES and toxic stress.

Evening Alumni Group
2022-09-20 17:00 - 18:15 | Zoom Virtual Event
Prerequisite for this group is to have completed Forward-Facing® ME: Personal Engagement Group.
This group is hosted by Emily Hedrick
5PM AZ/6PM MT/7PM CT/8PM ET

Forward-Facing Me 7-Week Group
2022-09-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
Registration for this group is closed.
Registration for the next FFME group starting October 25 at 9:30 AM MST is open. You can secure your spot HERE.
Registration for the next evening group starting January 11, 2023 at 6:30 PM MST is open. You can secure your spot HERE.
Forward-Facing ME is a 7-week interactive group process designed to help the participants gain skills to live more effectively. The developers of this group have amassed a significant amount of research supporting the effectiveness of utilizing these skills to lessen the negative effects of stress in psychotherapeutic practice.
This group will meet weekly from September 14 to October 26. Your ticket covers all group meetings.

Certified Forward-Facing Coach Info Session
2022-09-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Virtual Event
Do you have questions about becoming a Certified Forward-Facing Health and Wellness Coach? Have you been curious about the Forward-Facing Me (FFME) 7-Week Group? Do you want to be able to facilitate your own FFME Group?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, please join Jenny Wednesday, September 7th at 6pm (AZ Time) to learn more about these programs.

Dr. Gentry's Professional Forum
2022-09-06 15:00 - 16:30 | Zoom Virtual Event
