Emotion-Focused Therapy: Level 2 [New 9-Day model] 2017-18 Training Series

Three Modules, 9.30-17.00:

16-18 Nov 2017; 19-21 March 2018; 17-19 May 2018 [Revised dates]

Venue:  University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

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Facilitated by Professor Robert Elliott and Lorna Carrick

University of Strathclyde

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The Counselling Unit at the University of Strathclyde is excited to offer an innovative, restructured and enhanced Level 2 training in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for counsellors and psychotherapists (Diploma level or above) who have completed Level One training in EFT.  This nine–day series consists of three separate three-day modules, spread over the 2017-2018 academic year to allow participants to begin to implement EFT in their client work. This intensive training is broader and more in-depth than EFT level 1 or the previous EFT level 2, in particular adding training in the specialised empathy skills required to carry out EFT.  The format will be a mixture of brief lectures, videos or demonstrations, experiential practice exercises in small groups, and discussion.

Module A: Advanced Empathic Attunement & EFT (Thurs – Sat, 16-19 Nov 2017)
Day 1: Accessing Empathic Resonance; Evocative Empathy and Empathic Affirmation

Day 2: Exploratory Empathy and Empathic Conjecture

Day 3: Rapidly engaging clients & establishing presence; Empathy & Chairwork

Module B: EFT Fundamentals (Mon – Weds, 19-21 March 2018)
Day 4: EFT Therapist Response Modes; Focusing & EFT
Day 5: The Five Dimensions of EFT Client Case formulation; Alliance Ruptures
Day 6: Two-Chair work & self-critical splits in Depression

Module C: Advanced Methods in EFT (Thurs –Sat, 17-19 May 2018) [Revised dates]
Day 7: Narrative Work in EFT: Systematic Evocative Unfolding, Creation of Meaning, & Narrative Retelling
Day 8: Advanced Two Chair Work: Self-Interruption & Motivational conflicts
Day 9: Empty Chair work; Compassionate Self-soothing

Enrolment is set for a minimum of 15, with variable staffing to accommodate up to 30.  The course could be taken for continuing professional education credit.  This course is part of Level A Completion of Basic EFT Training, recognised by the International Society for Emotion-Focused Therapy (ISEFT)

Whole Series Package Cost: Regular: £845; Early bird: £795 (by 15 Oct 2017);

Per Module Cost: Regular: £345; Early bird: £295 (prior to 30 days before each module)

In order to keep costs to a minimum, catering is not included in these costs

Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50.00 to secure a place if not paying the whole fee at time of booking. Online booking and payments can be made at the following link:  http://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk/browse/product.asp?catid=45&modid=2&compid=1

Contact: jan.bissett@strath.ac.uk or 0141-444 8415 for further information on this training, the facilitators, ways of applying for this course or other APT events

Level 1 Emotion-Focused Therapy Training, University of Nottingham

Lorna Carrick and I are running a standard EFT Level 1 training through the Centre for Research in Human Flourishing, Dearing Building, School of Education, at the University of Nottingham, 16 - 19 January 2017, 09.30 – 17.00

Here is the blurb about the training:

We are pleased to announce our first Emotion-Focussed Therapy, Level 1 Training on 16-19 January 2017. Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is a humanistic, evidence-based form of psychotherapy/ counselling that integrates person-centred and gestalt therapies, with particular relevance to working with depression, trauma, and anxiety difficulties. It has gained international recognition through the work of Les Greenberg, Laura Rice, Robert Elliott, Jeanne Watson, Rhonda Goldman, Sandra Paivio, Antonio Pascual-Leone and others. More recently, it has attracted attention in the UK as one of the sources of the Counselling for Depression (CfD) model.

This is the first Level 1 EFT training to be offered outside of Scotland, where it has been running successfully for the past 10 years. It is a professional training open to qualified counsellors and psychotherapists. It will provide participants with grounding in the theory and skills required to work more effectively with emotion in psychotherapy. Participants will receive in-depth skills training through a combination of brief lectures, video demonstrations, live modelling, case discussions, and supervised role-playing practice.

This training is open to post-training counsellors and psychotherapists, preferably with a background in person-centred or humanistic counselling or psychotherapy. Psychodynamic, CBT and family systems therapists may also find it useful, especially if they have well-developed empathy skills. This training will provide all therapists with an opportunity to develop their therapeutic skills and interests, and provides the first step toward certification as an EFT therapist under the guidelines of the International Society for Emotion-Focused Therapy (ISEFT). Further training requires EFT Level 2 and personal supervision of practice by an accredited EFT supervisor; it may also require additional empathy training.

The cost for the four day training session is £595 (including lunch) - parking charges apply.

For more information, go to: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/news/news-items/news1617/eft-training.aspx
To register you will need to use a credit or debit card; go to: http://store.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=1&deptid=26&catid=55&prodid=3064

Emotion-Focused Therapy: Level 3 Training Series

Fridays, 9:30-17.00, 25 Nov 2016 – 23 June 17

Venue:  University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Facilitated by Lorna Carrick & Robert Elliott 

The Emotion-Focused Therapy Level 3 Supervision Series is open to counsellors and psychotherapists who have completed Level Two training in EFT.  This series will consist of 7 day-long Friday sessions over a 8-month period and held in the main city centre campus of the University of Strathclyde.  The format will primarily focus on supervision of recorded therapy sessions, supplemented as appropriate with brief lectures, experiential practice exercises in small groups, and discussion.  Emphasis will be on putting EFT into practice and examining blocks to effective practice.

 

Session	Tentative Topics:
25 Nov 2016	Organizational; Case monitoring (Robert & Lorna)
27 Jan 2017	Supervision; Case formulation (Robert)
24 Feb 2017	Supervision; the Alliance formation task (Lorna)
24 March 2017	Supervision; Anxiety Splits (Robert)
28 April 2017	Supervision; EFT Dreamwork (Lorna)
19 May 2017	Supervision; Eating difficulties (Lorna)
23 June 2017	Supervision; EFT & fragile process (Lorna)

·      Course fee:  Until 25 October 2016: £555; after that: £605

·      The course could be taken for continuing professional education credit.

·      This course is designed to help participants work toward EFT-Individual Completion of Training Certification; however, some additional individual supervision may be required for that.

For more information and online booking and payments go to the following link:  http://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk/browse/product.asp?catid=45&modid=2&compid=1 

Contact: jan.bissett@strath.ac.uk or 0141-444 8415 for further information on this training or to sign up for it.

Emotion-Focused Therapy: Level 2 2016-17 Workshop Series

 

Revised Starting Date:
Three Friday-Saturday Workshops, 9.30-16.30:

3-4 Feb; 10-11 March; 12-13 May 2017

Venue:  University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Facilitated by Professor Robert Elliott and Lorna Carrick

University of Strathclyde 

The Counselling Unit at the University of Strathclyde is pleased again to offer further training in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for counsellors and psychotherapists (Diploma level or above) who have completed Level One training in EFT and have had previous empathy training (see below).   This six–day series follows a schedule of three two-day Friday-Saturday sessions spread over early 2017 to allow participants to begin to implement EFT in their client work in the course of the training; it covers a broader range of topics than 4-day EFT level 2 trainings allow.  The format will be a mixture of brief lectures, videos or demonstrations, experiential practice exercises in small groups, and discussion.

The specific topics to be covered will feature material not covered in the Level 1 course, including

·      Therapist experiential response modes

·      EFT client case formulation and modes of engagement

·      The EFT adaption of Focusing

·      Relational Dialogue for Alliance difficulties

·  Creation of Meaning for meaning protests & Narrative retelling of difficult or traumatic experiences

In addition, different forms of Chairwork will be particularly emphasized:

·    Two chair conflict split work for: self-criticism, self-interruption, and self-damaging activities

·      Empty chair work for unfinished business

·      Compassionate Self-soothing for painful self states

 

•  Enrolment is set for a minimum of 15, with variable staffing to accommodate up to 30.
• The course could be taken for continuing professional education credit.
• This course is part of Level A Completion of Basic EFT Training, recognised by the International Society for Emotion-Focused Therapy (ISEFT)
• Previous empathy training requirement: In accord with ISEFT training guidelines, participants must have had a prior training in a humanistic-experiential psychotherapy (such as person-centred, focusing-oriented or gestalt therapy) or undertake the Advanced Empathic Attunement Workshop before commencing EFT Level 2.

Cost: Before Weds 4^thJan 2017: £545; after Weds 4^thJan 2017: £595

In order to keep costs to a minimum, catering is not included in these costs

Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50.00 to secure a place if not paying the whole fee at time of booking. Online booking and payments can be made at the following link:  http://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk/browse/product.asp?catid=45&modid=2&compid=1

Contact: jan.bissett@strath.ac.uk or 0141-444 8415 for further information on this training, the facilitators, ways of applying for this course or other APT events

How Much EFT Training do I Need to Begin Using EFT Methods in My Practice?

People sometimes ask me about what kinds of Emotion-Focused Therapy training are offered at the University of Strathclyde and what they do can with different levels of EFT training.   This is of course a matter of degree:

(1) EFT level 1 (4 days) provides an overview of EFT theory and practice and an introduction to the key therapeutic tasks.  Most people find this enough to begin experimenting with EFT tasks, although folks without previous systematic empathy training are more likely to find this frustrating.  At Strathclyde the training group usually consists of 20-30 participants.

(2) Advanced Empathic Attunement (3 days) is a new training now required for folks who want to go on to EFT level 2 and who don't have a previous training in a Person-Centered or other humanistic psychotherapy or counselling.  This provides lots of skill practice in the EFT empathy micro-skills that underlie the more complex EFT tasks, which we hope will mean that they will be much more likely to be successful in continuing to develop proficiency and not get stuck or discouraged. (n = 15 - 30 participants)

(3) EFT level 2 (3 X 2 = 6 days) provides a comprehensive training in the wide range of EFT tasks, and is focused on examining blocks to practice and putting EFT into practice with a wide range of client populations.  It's delivered in 3 X 2 day workshops, which are spaced over the course of an academic year Oct/Nov to May, with lots of skill practice. This completes the basic workshop training in EFT; with the addition of 5 hours of EFT supervision of own practice in either individual or group format it meets criteria for EFT Level A recognition: Completion of Basic EFT Training. (n = 15 - 30 participants)

(4) EFT level 3 consists of 6-7 X 1-day group supervision sessions over the course of a year and is focused on developing proficiency in EFT.  This can be repeated and is where participants really begin to develop proficiency in EFT.  (n = 12 participants)

(5) EFT individual supervision: 16 hours of individual or group EFT supervision of own practice by an approved EFT supervisor is required for Level B recognition: Completion of EFT Supervised Practice.

Les Greenberg to present 2-day EFT workshop in London 31 May - 1 June

Les Greenberg is going to be presenting a 2 day EFT workshop in London 31 May - 1 June:

Emotion-focused therapy: The transforming power of affect.

For more information, go to: http://www.bps.org.uk/events/emotion-focused-therapy-transforming-power-affect-2-day-workshop

Pilgrimage 5: An Emotion-Focused Therapy Interpretation of the Conflict between Israel and Palestine

--> Entry for 18-22 May 2015:

This is a continuation of my previous entry on the history of military occupation in Israel.

During the time we’ve been on pilgrimage in Israel, we’ve learned a lot about its ancient and recent history.  As part of this, I’ve reflected on my many Jewish friends and colleagues, whom I’ve known and loved over the years.  I’ve also read up on the history of the 1967 and 1973 wars here.

And I’ve been mindful of the many parallels between the history of Israel and that of the United States and the British Empire, their relationship to native/indigenous peoples, and my part in that as someone who lives within the privilege of a majority culture. For example, I’m aware of the claim (made in 2008 by the SNP) that in East Glasgow, not far from my office, the average life expectancy for men is lower than it is in Gaza (Channel 4 News, 2008). 

What I’m left with about all this is a sense of mutual tragedy and sadness.  My understanding of the psychological basis for this tragedy has several other sources:

• My work as a psychotherapist for many people with trauma histories, especially over the past 30 years of my practice as an EFT therapist;

• My work with people with social anxiety over the past 8 years;

• The study that my PhD student Robin Hinson and I did in the 1990’s on working with prejudice, which we carried using an experimental one-session EFT protocol for working with “difficult people”;

• Charles Eisenstein’s analysis of the ultimately self-defeating nature of what he calls the agenda of control in Ascent of Humanity (2007); and

• Psychotherapist Al Pesso’s analysis of the roots of terrorism in childhood exposure to narratives of injustice and cultural trauma (which I talked with him about last year in Berlin) (Pesso has developed a form of Empty Chair/Self-Soothing Work for addressing this.)

All of these have given me an acute sense that in some way the Tragedy of Israel and Palestine is something shared and deeply intertwined. 

Here is what is emerging for me: The peoples of Israel and Palestine are locked together in a deep, shared history of mutual trauma and injustice, leaving them feeling broken, violated, distrustful, afraid and angry.   Over millennia, each has suffered repeatedly at the other’s hands; and these events have been lovingly preserved and rehearsed from generation unto generation, without understanding or forgiveness. 

For example, in the case of Israel, there is very much a sense of national trauma going back for thousands of years, but reawakened in the 20^th century, first by the Holocaust and then strongly reinforced by the 1967 and 1973 wars.  Human beings are powerfully evolved to learn rapidly and often rigidly from situations in which their very existence is threatened.  One-trial learning is generally sufficient in this case to lead us to put strong protective measures in place so that such threats will “never again” happen.  In the case of Israel, such learning has happened repeatedly in living memory.

These traumatic events and the associated vulnerability have resulted in victims becoming perpetrators, over and over again (as I noted in my previous entry), thus creating a cycle of abuse, which I am hypothesising may have led to a deep sense of emotional and spiritual impurity, whose source is a vague sense of guilt that has been pushed out of awareness.

Instead, eternal vigilance and readiness to take offense have been the rule.  Each feels threatened at an existential level by the other, and seeks to both make themselves safe and to claim and control what they feel is theirs.  The more they seek to do this, the more they threaten the Other, causing them to become more vigilant and to try to gain more control over the Other.  It is this constant guarding and seeking control that is the heart of the problem, because it continually makes the problem worse by threatening the Other. 

In Emotion-Focused Therapy, with both individual and couples, such negative cycles between partners or between parts of the self are common and feel wholly intractable to those involved (and often to the therapist).  However, according to EFT “the only way out is through”:

• First, we offer a situation in which all parts of the self (or both members of the couple) feel deeply and credibly understood and validated. 

• Second, this enables the person or persons to slow down and become more deeply aware of their core painful, stuck emotions.  In this case, we have among other emotions, lingering anger at old injuries and fear of the Other as dangerous.  These emotions have to be understood and accepted, but by itself this is not enough to change anything. 

• Third, with seemingly intractable problems, it appears to be important to spend time developing an appreciation for the cost that maintaining a stand based on these emotions has had for the person. (I thank Laco Timulak for making this point explicit.) 

• Fourth, for emotional transformation to take place, there must be another step, to identify alternative, more adaptive emotions.  In this case, these include: curiosity about the Other and what they may have to offer; sadness at disconnection and separation; realistic fear at the long term consequences of one’s own intransigence; genuine empathy and compassion for the Other’s suffering; and perhaps even appropriate, motivating guilt for the role that one has played in the bringing about or allowing the Other’s suffering. 

• Fifth, by creating an atmosphere of mutual openness, this emotional transformation makes it possible to begin a process of negotiation and resolution. 

I’m not saying that such a process is easy; it isn’t.  But I’m not sure that I see any alternative other than despair and giving in to a continuing cycle of traumatising interactions, which only perpetuate and deepen the problem.

Wall Art, Wall of Separation, Bethlehem

References

Channel 4 News. (2008).  FactCheck: Glasgow worse than Gaza?  Retrieved 21 May 2015, from: http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/factcheck+glasgow+worse+than+gaza/2320267.html

            Eisenstein, C. (2007). The Ascent of Humanity: Civilization and the Human Sense of Self.  Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books.

Sanders & Hill’s Counselling for Depression (2014)

Entry for 28 March 2014:

Today I received my copy of Counselling for Depression: A Person-Centred and Experiential Approach to Practice (Sage, 2014).  As far as I know, this is the first book-length person-centred-experiential therapy treatment manual for a specific client population.  It is an outgrowth of the humanistic therapy competences that I worked on in 2008-2009, integrating person-centred and EFT, and provides important reading material to go along with the CfD training now being carried out in England and Wales. 

I co-wrote chapter 2, with Andy Hill; I also put together one of the Appendices from my meta-analysis data and helped construct the competence rating scale (PCEPS) reproduced in the last chapter.  For background for doing the book, Pete Sanders came up to Glasgow to do EFT Level 1 18 months ago. 

The book is a handy reference for PCE therapists and counselors working with depressed clients, and I think also helps legitimize the use of a humanistic therapy for depression.  There is a lot of EFT in it, but without, as Pete Sanders says, “furniture”. 

This book, and the big PRACTICED trial currently running in Sheffield, have inspired me to return the EFT’s roots in the work we carried out from 1985 to 1992 on developing it as an approach for working with depressed clients.  In the process I’ve developed my own take on CfD and EFT for depression.  Some of my thinking on this can be found under the CfD and EFT Masterclass sections on the following page: https://sites.google.com/site/eftnetworkuk/files-and-resources

This material includes ideas about depression as “stuckness”, how to help therapists and clients get unstuck, and alternative ways of working with Self-Criticism and Unresolved Relationships that don’t involve chairwork.  There are also useful formulations, such as “Depression is a message that I send myself that something is broken in my life”.

Regardless, Sanders & Hill’s new book is an excellent to start looking at how PCE therapy can be carried out with depressed clients in a more focused and responsive manner.  Hopefully, it will also generate additional interest in EFT as well.

Emotion-Focused Therapy Masterclass: Emotion Focused Therapy for Depression: An EFT Approach to Counselling for Depression (CfD)

Friday, 28 March 2014 9:30-17.30

University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

A small number of openings remain for the next EFT masterclass.

Emotion-Focused Therapy has been shown to be highly effective for helping clients with depression.  In this session I provide an overview of experiential processes in depression and key EFT tasks in depression, including self-criticism splits, self-interruption, and unfinished business. 

From an EFT perspective, depression is all about different kinds of stuckness, and it can be very easy for therapists to become stuck with their stuck clients in their stuck process.  A critical point is for the therapist to see depressive stuckness not as something that just happens to the client but instead as something the client does to themselves.  At the same time, it is important for therapists not to judge depressed clients for being stuck or bringing about their stuckness, but to offer the different parts of the client genuine empathy and compassion.

Individual sessions of the new Emotion-Focused Therapy Masterclass Series are open to counsellors and psychotherapists (Diploma level or above) who have completed Level Two or Level Three training in EFT.  If it’s been a while since you did EFT training, the masterclasses can serve as a refresher course and enable you to catch up on more recent developments in EFT theory, practice and training.

This session will include videos or live demonstration, supervision of client work, and small group skill practice.  Participants are encouraged to bring in material from their depressed clients.

·      Enrolment is set for a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 15.  The balance between supervision and skill practice will depend of number of participants.

·      Course fee: £120.

·      The course could be taken for continuing professional education credit.

Contact: jan.bissett@strath.ac.uk or 0141-444 8415 for further information on this training, the facilitator, ways of applying for this course or other APT events.