Working with Ambivalence in EFT

Ting Liu, Ph.D, ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainer

Clients bring ambivalence to therapy in different ways. For example, they may not comply with treatment, they may blame the therapist unreasonably, or they may not agree on therapy goals or the future of their relationships. Typical EFT process and intervention may lead to more uncertainty, frustration, or hopelessness.

In this workshop, participants will learn to distill ambivalence through an attachment lens, identify the signs of relationship and therapy ambivalence, de-escalate the cycle of ambivalence, address impasses when working with ambivalence.

More importantly, Dr. Liu will present clinical strategies, using EFT Tango moves, to address this tricky yet sophisticated issue in couple therapy. 

Ting Liu, Ph.D., serves as the clinical director of PCEFT and is a certified EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) trainer, supervisor and therapist.

She is licensed in Pennsylvania as a Marriage and Family Therapist and is an Approved Supervisor with the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy. She maintains a Private Practice in Wayne, PA.

Dr. Liu received her doctorate in Child Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Family Intervention Science at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Her publications include four books she has translated into Chinese in the fields of MFT and EFT. She has also published several journal articles on different applications of EFT and wrote a chapter on multi-cultural therapy in the EFT casebook. She is currently involved in several outcome studies examining the cultural applicability of EFT to diverse populations.

Dr. Liu offers EFT training, supervision, and case consultation to therapists in the Philadelphia area, as well as to therapists in Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Shenzen, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo.

Tango Move 1 is Particularly Important to reduce pushes and pulls of ambivalence: how to make it safe enough for clients to access and unpack pain, anger, fear, shame, and sadness underneath the ambivalence. Examples of Micro-interventions used will be discussed.

Tango Move 2: How much to deepen? 

•       Holding and staying in pain, helplessness, and hopelessness is therapeutic.

Tango Move 3: How to deal with impasses when typical enactments don’t work?

•       The beauty of using “seeding attachment”

Tango Move 4: How to process to enhance therapeutic effects of the new encounter even when clients refuse to do an enactment

Tango Move 5: Modifying IWMs to reduce Shame through corrective emotional experience

CE Information: CEs will be available to those participants who can attend all C hours in real time for an additional cost. Details coming soon.

Disclosure: There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this course.

Accommodations: This program adheres to the standards of the Americans Disabilities Act. Please contact us if special accommodation is required.

Grievance policy: We seek to ensure equitable treatment of every person and to make every attempt to resolve grievances in a fair manner. Please email us with your written grievance. Grievances would receive, to the best of our ability, corrective action in order to prevent further problems.

Cancellation/refund policy:  If you notify us prior to 7 days before the event, we will provide a full refund minus a $20 administrative fee. If you notify us less than 7 days before the event, we will provide a 50% refund. Registration refund amounts are based on fixed costs, contractual obligations, and administrative time. When you enroll, it is with the understanding that you will attend and that you agree to this cancellation policy. If WBCEFT cancels or postpones an event, we will apply your tuition to the make-up date. If we cannot secure a make up date, you will receive a full refund. If you cannot attend the make up date, we will provide a full refund.  If you qualify for the Diversity Fellowship, due to limited spots, please notify us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend so that a spot can open up for someone else. All refunds must be requested in writing via email to angela@wbceft.com.

Note: Please note that this training will NOT be recorded.

Zoom links and Handouts: For all of our online trainings, you will receive the zoom link and any handouts two days prior to the training date.

Questions: Please contact Sarah Cook at sarah@wbceft.com with any questions about this training.