Introduction to Emotion-Focused Therapy

  • A one day online introduction to Emotion-Focused Therapy

  • Thursday 26th March/Friday 1st May 10-5pm

  • €75

  • Facilitated by Daragh Keogh (D.Couns.Psych.)

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. 

It 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. It has been developed in individual, couples and group modalities as well as in a skills format for parents and caregivers.

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

This workshop will provide an introduction to Emotion-Focused Therapy theory of functioning, pathology and therapeutic change. Consisting of lectures, discussion and illustrated by video it will cover the following topics

  • Background

  • EFT theory of emotion and emotional dysfunction

  • Different types of emotion responses (e.g., primary, secondary & instrumental)

  • Emotional schematic processing

  • Emotional arousal and emotional productivity

  • Principles of working with emotion in psychotherapy

  • Transforming maladaptive emotions in therapy - change processes

  • Case conceptualisation

  • Therapeutic work - The therapist and the therapeutic relationship

  • Therapeutic work - Experiential work and tasks

The cost of attending this introductory workshop can be offset in full against the cost of attending any EFT workshop in 2026 and is especially recommended to clinicians planning to attend the EFT-Youth training in June. 

All enquiries: admin@ieft.ie

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