About Us
A team of adult education experts who deliver in-person and remote training in Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Responsive Care, and more. Focused on evidence-based skills, with a practical, relatable, compassionate approach.
Give your staff the customized training they need to meet the challenges posed by the opioid crisis, trauma, mandated-individuals, and caseload demands.
Hire us to train your team.
Our trainers
Sandy Rivers
MA, CASAC-M, ACH
Lisa Ardner
MA, CASAC-M, CARC, CCTP
Sandra Fioramonti-Sabene
CEO/Program Design Artistic Innovations LLC
Meet Our Expert Team of Trainers
Authentic Trainings is a growing team of Motivational Interviewing experts and Trauma Champions, some of whom have decades of clinical experience working with people in treatment and recovery. We are trusted authorities in client engagement and retention with advanced trainings in adult education.
While our trainings are situated in the evidence-based practices proven to get results, we understand there are multiple pathways to recovery.
Our trainers come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, so that Authentic Trainings can offer quality trainings, from entry-level to advanced in specialty topics like vicarious resilience, empathy fatigue, and equine facilitated trainings.
What sets Authentic Training LLC apart from other training companies is our decades of experience working directly with clients and community partners, from parole officers to caseworks to peer professionals and beyond.
Our team has worked in the trenches and understands the challenges faced by today’s workforce that struggles with the impact of the opioid epidemic, traumatic events, mandated individuals, and caseload demands.
We specialize in advanced trainings to improve the skills of your existing workforce, utilizing evidence-based models proven to be effective, and mindfulness tools to reduce vicarious trauma and burnout in your organization.
Sandy Rivers, MA, CASAC-M, RC
Founder of Authentic Trainings & Lead Trainer
As the founder of Authentic Trainings, Sandy has decades of clinical experience in substance use disorder, sexual abuse, and trauma.
As a clinician, she noticed that evidence-based practices rooted in practical, person-centered approaches led to the best client outcomes. She further noted that these same skills led to lower rates of burnout among her colleagues.
When she noticed a deficit in workforce education focused on these skills, she pursued a master’s degree in adult education, and she founded Authentic Trainings to fill that void.
Sandy holds various certifications, including Trauma Debriefing, Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist, Trauma Champion, and Advanced Motivational Interviewing Trainer.
At Authentic Trainings, she develops customized training solutions to meet the growing needs of professionals in the fields mental health, criminal justice, substance use disorder, and more to increase client engagement and retention.
Lisa Ardner, MA, CASAC-M, CARC, CCTP
Lisa has over two decades of clinical experience in substance use disorder. She is a Certified MINT ® Trainer and member of the international Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT®). Lisa is a member of the CNY Motivational Interviewing Learning Collaborative and co-facilitates a monthly virtual Motivational Interviewing Community of Practice Group.
Lisa has a master’s degree in Adult Learning from SUNY Empire State College where she is an adjunct instructor. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and a NYS Certified Addiction Recovery Coach (CARC).
Lisa is an approved trainer through OASAS (Office of Addiction Services and Support) and a member of the ASAP-NYCB (Alcohol and Substance Abuse Providers of NY Certification Board) trainer registry on a variety of topics.
Lisa is best known for her compassionate, nurturing, and relational style of counseling and teaching.
Sandra Fioramonti-Sabene
Sandra Sabene has over 20 years of experience as a motivational speaker for mental health events, with a special focus on substance use disorder. She’s the CEO of Artistic Innovations and Founder of the Creative Rhythms & Expressive Arts Facilitator Training. She owns the Liver Pool Arts Center and hosts the longest-running drum circle in Syracuse, NY.
She’s designed special programming for healthcare and community organizations and high education, including Upstate University Hospital, Veteran’s Hospital, Hutchings, Helio Health, Prevention Network, St. Camillus, Syracuse University, Onondaga Community College, Lemoyne College, Syracuse City, Cicero, Citi BOCES, Liverpool, Baldwinsville, and North Syracuse Schools, Advocates, Syracuse City Libraries, CRC, ARC, Liberty Resources, Anchor Recovery, ASAP-NYCB statewide conferences.