Intensive Online Course: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Difficult Couples Evidence-Based Techniques to Effectively Work With Challenging Couples

CPD

Handouts

Speaker

Susan Johnson, EdD Related seminars and products

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The late Susan Johnson, EdD, was a best-selling author, clinical psychologist, distinguished research professor, dynamic speaker, and recognized innovator who changed the field of couple therapy. Sue was the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which has demonstrated its effectiveness in over 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical research. She was the director of the International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy and a distinguished research professor at Alliant University in San Diego, California, as well as professor of clinical psychology at the University of Ottawa, Canada. She trained behavioral health providers in EFT worldwide and is still recognized as one of the most prominent researchers and presenters in the couple therapy field.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Sue Johnson had employment relationships with University of British Columbia, Campbell & Fairweather Psychology Group, Alliant International, University Ottawa, Couple and Family Institute, and the International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy. She received royalties as a published author. Dr. Johnson received a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She had no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Sue Johnson served on the editorial board for the American Journal of Family Therapy (AJFT) and the journal Couple and Family Psychology: Research & Practice.

Objectives

1. Give examples of the laws of human bonding, how they operate in adult love relationships, and how these laws inform the clinician’s choices of treatment interventions.
2. Explain the EFT model as a secure base for effective couple therapy.
3. Identify the three stages of the EFT model to offer clients a way out of destructive patterns into new ways of relating based on closeness, safe attachment and connection.
4. Utilize how EFT explores and deepens emotions with clients in a way that maintains safety.
5. Implement corrective emotional experiences for couples that create real forward movement in a single session.
6. Articulate the “stuck” places couples encounter that perpetuate negative cycles and emotional disconnection in love relationships, and utilize this information to improve clinical outcomes.
7. Outline the 10 principles of attachment theory and how these principles can help guide intervention in couple sessions.
8. Determine alliance issues and escalating hostility in clients during stage 1 sessions of EFT.
9. Implement techniques to deal with clients who are shut down, withdrawn and lack of engagement in therapy.
10. Demonstrate how to adapt the model to different co-morbidities in session like depression, anxiety and trauma and sexuality.
11. Breakdown blocks to constructive dependency in all stages of therapy and shape change events in session.
12. Utilize clinical strategies to resolve attachment injuries, such as affairs, to shape trust and reconciliation between clients.
13. Demonstrate how to adapt the model to different individuals to improve client engagement, including escalated, traumatized, and depressed partners.

Target Audience

• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Therapists
• Addiction Counselors
• Case Managers
• Nurses
• Other Mental Health Professionals

Outline

Couple Therapy

What’s Necessary to Create Secure, Lasting Bonds

• How not to get caught in the overwhelm
• Don’t label and get caught in finger pointing
• Going beyond looking at symptoms

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) & Attachment Theory

EFT Model - Secure Base for Effective Therapy

• Build a therapeutic alliance
• Reprocess and distil emotion
• Choreograph new interactions
• Restructure attachment
• Utilize the five basic moves of the EFT therapist
• Limitations of research & potential risks

Three Stages of EFT

The Structure, Moves, Interventions & Key Change Events

• Stage 1-De-escalation of Negative Cycles
  • Assessment
  • Identify negative cycle / attachment issues
  • Access underlying attachment emotions
  • Frame problem – cycle, attachment needs/ fears
• Stage 2-Restructuring Attachment
  • Access implicit needs, fears, models of self
  • Promote acceptance by other
  • Structure reach & respond – express attachment needs – bonding interactions
• Stage 3-Consolidation of the New Relationship and Future
  • Emotional attachment conflicts have been resolved
  • Relationship becomes a safe haven
  • Healing environment for both partners

Advanced Approaches for Difficult & Attachment Injured Couples

Affairs

• Relationship traumas that destroy trust
• How to create and communicate a healing narrative
• When healing attempts worsen the rift
• Shaping trust and reconciliation
• Resolve attachment injuries

Hostile and Escalated Couples

• Escalation because of trauma
• Establish an in-session safe base for partners in melt down – contain escalation
• Grasp the threats that trigger accusation and defence
• Understand the relationship between PTSD, trust and sexuality
• Address fear and safety
• Normalize and regulate over the top hyperarousal

Withdrawn Couples

• How to deal with lack of engagement from shut down, dismissing clients
• Stop stonewall and maximize engagement
• Address co-morbidities blocks in session
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Trauma
  • Sexuality
• Pinpoint blocks to constructive dependency
• Shape change events and graduated risk-taking

Couples with Past Injuries & Vulnerabilities

• Mini traumatic relationship injuries
  • I will never forgive you…
  • I will never rely on you…
  • You weren’t there…
• How to impasses in trust
• Create “hold me conversations”
• Attachment injury repair in EFT

The Future of Couple Interventions in the 21st Century

• Key changes and challenges in the field of couple therapy
• Use the map offered by attachment and EFT
• Normalize relationship application
• EFT for special populations 

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