Emotion-Focused Therapy - Level 1 

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based experiential psychotherapy in the humanistic tradition of Person-Centered and Gestalt therapy, influenced by family & systemic therapy as well as ongoing research in affective neuroscience. EFT is established as a treatment for depression, trauma, and in its couples’ format, relationship distress. It has also been applied to the treatment of eating disorders, and most recently, to the treatment of anxiety, specifically social anxiety and generalized anxiety. EFT is a unique empirically based approach, based on methods designed to help people accept, express, regulate, make sense of, and transform emotion. It focuses on the development of emotional intelligence and on the importance of secure relationships. Based on emotion, attachment, and growth theory, it helps people identify which of their emotions they can trust and rely on as adaptive guides and which of their emotions are residues of painful memories that have become maladaptive and thus need to be changed. With the help of the therapist's empathic understanding and the use of experiential methods, clients learn how to make healthy contact with and transform, feelings, memories, thoughts, and physical sensations that have been ignored, feared or avoided.

Workshop Content: Dr. Timulak, will lead a 4-day introductory and experiential workshop on EFT as a treatment for working with complex emotions in individual psychotherapy. The approach will be illustrated with video recorded case studies, and significant time will be given to experiential exercises in small break out groups where participants will be supported in learning core EFT tasks. The phases of treatment will be described and the specific processes that led to the resolution of the clients’ presentation will be highlighted and illustrated.

Ladislav Timulak, PhD is Professor in Counselling Psychology at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, where he is Course Director of the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. Ladislav (“Laco” read “Latso”) is involved in various psychotherapy trainings in Ireland and internationally. His main research interest is psychotherapy research, particularly the development of emotion-focused therapy (EFT). He currently is developing this form of therapy as a transdiagnostic treatment for depression, anxiety, and related disorders. He is also researching the use of mental health interventions delivered online. He has written or co-written ten books, more than 100 peer reviewed papers and chapters in both his native language, Slovak, and in English. His most recent EFT books include Transforming Emotional Pain in Psychotherapy: An Emotion-Focused Approach (2015), Transforming Generalized Anxiety: An Emotion-Focused Approach (with James McElvaney; 2018); and Transdiagnostic Emotion-Focused Therapy (with co-author Daragh Keogh) published by the American Psychological Association (2021). He serves on various editorial boards and, in the past, coedited Counselling Psychology Quarterly. He maintains a part-time private practice.

Training is open to qualified clinical/counselling psychologists and accredited counsellors/ psychotherapists and is the first step in becoming a certified EFT therapist with the International Society for Emotion-Focused Therapy (ISEFT).

Places are limited. 

The early bird rate applies when the full fee is paid before 28/02/2025 

For all enquiries and bookings please contact: ieftireland@gmail.com