Participant Testimonials
Comments from recent workshops (shared with permission):
“This workshop was fantastic and really deepened my understanding of intercultural considerations as they relate to my work as a therapist and beyond. Thank you so much. One of the best trainings I’ve attended.”
“Cheryl has such a beautiful way of synthesizing so many concepts to make them make sense and feel more applicable/useful — thank you!”
“This training supported integrating intercultural concepts with racial equity and liberation work in powerful ways. The information regarding cultural frameworks was so very valuable in training us how to deconstruct prescribed/racist/biased ways of thinking. It gives the tools and the emotional space to engage in racial equity work in both theoretical and practical ways.”
“This was wonderful and my mind is blown open in the best possible way! Thank you!”
“Cheryl, thank you for such an enriching self-reflective and informative process. One where I walk away knowing myself better which deepens and supports more effective clinical work!”
“Cheryl’s work always helps me to think about culture more deeply, both my own and others‘, as well as the way these interact. She brings personal warmth, a nonjudgmental attitude, approachability, and a wealth of experience and expertise to her trainings. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to deepen my ability to conceptualize my clients from a cultural lens. This information is essential in working with clients.”
“Thank you, this was a fantastic workshop. I studied intercultural communication a fair amount in undergrad, so some of the concepts were familiar to me, however I felt engaged throughout the entire workshop and feel that I am now able to integrate intercultural communication concepts more effectively in my work as a therapist. This workshop was a great balance of the information and exercises being both accessible and challenging enough to stay engaged — being on a growth edge without overwhelm.”
“This workshop was so helpful not only in learning about intercultural communication, empathy, and effectiveness, but also in examining how my own culture and values impact my life and relationships personally and professionally. I appreciated that discomfort I was feeling when wrestling with these concepts and where I fall on the spectrum of different cultural dimensions was normalized and accepted as part of the growth process. It was very helpful when there were case examples. . . . It is clear Cheryl is passionate and so knowledgeable about the course material. I’m happy to recommend this training and return to again myself in the future!”
“A very well thought out and well-researched training that takes the role of culture seriously as a foundational aspect of human experience.”
“I really enjoyed Cheryl’s style of teaching and presenting. She made the environment comfortable and supportive while really packing in valuable information.”
“The information in this workshop is invaluable for working interculturally with clients and/or co-workers. Especially in helping me see and realize my own culture and how I perceive and respond related to my cultural background. Second time taking the workshop and gained further awareness and understanding.”
“This is my second time attending this training, and it is excellent! Your passion for this work is evident, and both times I’ve walked away having gained important insights that are applicable professionally, as well as personally. The way you elucidate these rich concepts keeps me engaged, curious, and motivated to learn more. I very much look forward to attending your workshops in the future.”
“THANK YOU SO MUCH. You provided an extremely well-informed space for learning and expansion about relevant and imperative topics. So very grateful.”
“Rich and comprehensive training with enough breadth and depth to make the 5 days well worth it. Integrated multiple areas of study with both academic and applied resources, offered varied opportunities for discussion, and guided practice with some of the relevant skills.”
“Thank you for yet another powerful training. I deeply appreciate the work you’re doing — from the content to your facilitation style. What I’ve learned will definitely support me in working with therapy clients and in supervision with clinicians, as we all continue expanding our understanding of what appropriate treatment and healing can look like I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future trainings you offer.”
“Overall, totally amazing!”
“I love how you create a learning environment that feels genuinely safe, even when the material is sensitive or potentially activating. Your warm, grounded presence helps reduce anxiety and shame, making it much easier to engage honestly with the work. The structure of the training and the developmental model of intercultural sensitivity feel deeply nonpathologizing, which makes self-reflection feel supportive rather than overwhelming. The way you present the material creates a sense of safety to pursue growth (in myself, with clients, or in personal relationships) in a way I haven’t experienced before. The training has expanded how I think about cultural dynamics in the therapy room and beyond, and has increased my curiosity and flexibility as a clinician. Somehow, you make leaning into questions about my own culture, assumptions, values, and therapeutic orientation (something that can feel quite destabilizing) feel not only doable, but deeply meaningful, and even energizing and exciting. What I take away from this workshop will not only make me a better clinician, but also a better human. I think everyone should experience this workshop and I will certainly be a repeat participant! Thank you so much!”
“This series is a necessary addition to your toolkit. Dr. Forster leads with compassion, authenticity & from a place of embodiment and deep knowing. Her workshops offer knowledge and instruction while holding space for real & nuanced conceptual and experiential implications. As a mental health provider and equity practitioner, attending this series has been truly invaluable and has shifted how I approach the world both personally and professionally. ”
“This was an incredible workshop and excellent in both content and teaching. Cheryl is doing something uniquely valuable in bringing expertise in the fields of intercultural communication and mental health together. Her workshop unveiled and challenged how easy it is for people to universalize their way of being and engaging without even seeing that that’s what’s happening. She helped me see aspects of my worldview, my thinking, and my way of relating that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I think this is going to help me more deeply understand and empathize with my clients and be more effective and anti-colonial in my work. Cheryl has a very engaging teaching style and was a pleasure to learn from. It was well worth the four day commitment.”
“I highly recommend Cheryl’s course. I’ve taken it twice now and learned so much both times. Her course provides a structured culture general map (not that you stop there because culture is dynamic) that I didn’t realize I was missing, and helped me overcome certain assumptions. It opened up my mind to much more complexity and nuance. I will likely be taking this course again in the future, as Cheryl’s work continues to evolve and deepen. She is a unique voice and her longer training is well worth the investment.”
“I just finished taking Cheryl’s Intercultural Workshop series. It was incredible. It’s clear that Cheryl has done the research and has put a mountain of effort into making this relatable and accessible. I feel like I learned more about myself, how I’m influenced by culture, and how that knowledge can help me be a better intercultural communicator than I have learned in the last decade!”
“Cheryl is a gifted presenter and knows so much from her research and her years of experience as a counselor. She is always clear when she introduces theory, and practical in showing the relevance and significance of neuroscience to cultural and intercultural considerations in counseling and in our everyday experience. In this she has contributed so much. To anyone in the intercultural and DEIB fields, or in the helping professions, I highly recommend any workshop that Dr. Cheryl Forster offers.”
“Dr. Cheryl Forster’s workshop on Intercultural Communication is a definite must for anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and competencies in doing effective diversity work. Cheryl expertly condenses her lifelong learning into material that is both engaging and fosters self-reflection and inquiry into one’s own cultural ways and how they impact effective communication. I especially enjoyed Cheryl’s unique work in weaving in an important new cultural somatic dimension to what she calls Embodied Complexity. Cheryl has a lovely presence and combines a good amount of didactic learning with thoughtful exercises and interactions that deepened my learning. I highly recommend. ”
