Graduate Testimonials

Meet Our Graduates

Enjoy a glimpse of our international community of graduates and get a sense of the work they are doing.

Our graduates apply their education in a variety of fields, from organizational work and consultancy, mental health private practice, to politics and work in NGOs. Here is a sampling of our graduates and how they are using their education and contributing to our world. 

Cathy Bernatt, Oregon

“My training at PWI helped me develop highly advanced knowledge, skills and awareness in working with individuals, teams and organizations. I have my own company and I am an executive, team, and systems coach. I work as an external consultant inside organizations to help them effect sustainable change and my training at PWI helped me to deepen my skills. I work internationally and am passionate about Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the last two years I have teamed up with another graduate from PWI from South Africa. We facilitate a program called, Navigating the Subtle Nuances of Racism in our Local and Global communities with people from 11 different countries.” 

Irina Feygina, New York

“As a social psychologist and past member of the Obama Administration Social and Behavioral Science Team, my Master’s degree from PWI enabled me to employ innovative facilitation skills in my work on a variety of projects focused on climate communication and applying psychology to support climate solutions in public policy, NGOs, research, and consulting settings. Bringing behavioral science into these technological and policy efforts was novel, yet well-received, because psychology is often key to creating useful solutions and overcoming distrust.” 

Errol Amerasekera, Australia

“I am currently owner and Director of Bluestone Edge, which is a consulting
company that specializes in working with organizations around culture,
leadership and performance. My education at PWI was extremely useful
in supporting me in my professional development and career. My degree has really supported the one-on-one high-performance leadership coaching that is a significant part of the business.”

Renee Ryals, Oregon

“I’m currently an Assistant Professor at Oregon Health and Science University. I was a postdoctoral researcher when I started my PWI program and have obtained 3 promotions since then. I spend my time running a lab that evaluates treatments for inherited retinal degenerations. My PWI Master’s degree has provided me with the conflict resolution skills needed to navigate faculty life, which includes managing my team, teaching students, navigating relationships in my division and most interestingly, navigating industry relationships.” 

Camille Dumond, Canada

“Since I completed my degree I have gone on to co-found the first non-profit social innovation lab run by, with and for leaders with refugee lived experience  (Refugee Livelihood Lab). Over the past 3 years, this work has contributed to over 65 leaders with refugee lived experience developing over 45 systems change projects designed to create thriving communities that leave nobody behind. These projects have included starting their own cooperative businesses, advocacy campaigns, developing partnerships for change and founding non-profit organizations. I am also the founder of Dignity Facilitation, a conflict mediation and organizational change consultancy. I am grateful everyday for the skills, attitudes and competencies that I gained in the MAPOF program and keep in touch with an international community of practitioners.” 

Judit Merit, Spain

“The Master’s degree at the Process Work Institute provided me with the knowledge and skills to work through individual and systemic lenses in organizational settings. I have learnt to approach situations in a way that no other consultant or professional in the organizational field does. When doing leadership trainings, I can manage conflict right on the spot and support the long-term development of businesses and organizations.”

Lolo Haha, Oregon

“My Master’s degree hugely supported me to actively seek clients and begin my facilitation practice. I gained facilitation skills to work with individuals and couples as well as to facilitate groups and organizations that strive to be more equity-focused. In addition, these skills have enabled me to create trainings in equity and race work with youth and adults.”

Agnieszka Olsewska, Poland

“The Master’s program at PWI equipped me with amazing psychotherapeutic and facilitation skills. I am now working with troubled teens in a psychiatric hospital and my process work tools have literally helped to save many lives and support young patients in building their awareness, connect with inner strength, and their wisdom and drive for life. The unique Process Work approach that does not emphasize pathology, but curiosity and meaning, has given my clients relief and deeper understanding.”

Vasiliki Katrivanou, Greece

“After graduating from the Process Work Institute I used my training on a path to elected office in the Greek government.  I served for 4 years in the parliament of Greece. My facilitation skills helped me be a better politician and were essential in my work with the European Council and my work with refugee resettlement.”

Rho Sandberg, Australia

“My degree at the Process Work Institute underpinned our establishment of the Global Coaching Institute (GCI) which offers coach training programs in Australia, USA, Japan & Europe. Our clients include members of the European parliament, leaders in municipal government in major European cities, executives from well-known global companies, young Iraqi women working with ISIS survivors, along with numerous business leaders, community development workers and coaches working on a range of important projects of local and global significance. I am deeply indebted to the depth of training provided by PWI reflecting inspirational and ground-breaking professional expertise and the extraordinary commitment of its leaders and faculty. The programs at PWI not only develop individuals, but future leaders and leaders of leaders.”

Miguel Vazquez, Mexico

“I’m a consultant that focuses on cultural change, team building and leadership development. The Master’s degree at the PWI helped me develop the skills to understand organizational change and how to facilitate it.”

Rebecca Shala, Oregon 

“I am currently a clinical director, supervisor, and therapist at a group practice that focuses on supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Portland. I can’t overstate how impactful this degree has been in my day-to-day competency as a mental health professional and how greatly it has contributed to my leadership in working with organizational dynamics such as antiracism initiatives. PWI is doing something evolutionary in the higher education system; they are experientially training the next generation of professionals to work with the most complex social issues of our times via organizational leadership, conflict resolution, and creative problem solving.”

Adriana Del Rio, Colombia

“The high level of methodology, tools and concepts has supported me in building my coaching and consulting business.  The multi-cultural mindset that I developed at PWI helped me to work in global professional networks with organizations from all over the world. I have been able to apply my learning in my work in very diverse settings: indigenous communities in Colombia, coaching 100s of leaders in the oil industry, teaching in the graduate program at the Center of High Studies in Business in Colombia, coaching leaders in many NGOS and businesses, and facilitating conflict to support the peace process in Colombia and lead the team through the election’s process after the peace agreement was reached. I felt a true sense of community at PWI and that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is a deep value and modelled at the school. The real success indicator of EDI is that people feel they belong and PWI made that possible for me.”

Caitlin Keitel, Oregon

“Since graduating with my Master’s degree I have started a private practice as a process worker and conflict facilitator. In two years, my practice has grown to full capacity, and I now have a wait list. I frequently hear appreciation from my clients about the usefulness and transformative potential of Process Work. PWI faculty offered me outstanding mentorship, a solid understanding of my ethical responsibilities to my clients and prepared me to practice conflict facilitation in a professional setting.” 

Zed Xaba, South Africa

“I am a consultant who lives in South Africa and has been working in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion since 2001. My Master’s degree in conflict facilitation at PWI deepened my skills to work in this area. It provided me with additional tools and gave me the confidence to continue to work in this challenging area.”

Sonia Sinisterra, Colombia

“The Master’s program I completed at the Process Work Institute forever changed the way I do my work as a consultant, executive coach, and faculty member of Coaching Hall International in Bogotá, Colombia. Not only did my studies expand my perspective about my professional identity, but it has enabled me to teach and contribute to conflict management in a country where the perspectives of deep democracy and process work are eagerly needed. I learned how to recognize the dynamics present in organizational systems and teams, help members to become aware of them, and find better ways to interact to achieve their goals and contribute to the communities they serve. It gave me the concepts, skills and personal growth to approach conflict and tense situations and facilitate change in organizations and teams in this part of the world.”