Upcoming Events
Please note: All trainings are held on Eastern Standard Time (EST).
2024 WBCEFT Therapist Directory Subscription
If you have completed an ICEEFT approved Externship, and are local to the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area, you are eligible to be listed on the Therapist Directory of the Washington Baltimore Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy.
The subscription fee is $40 per annual year/$20 for students.
Please note that membership in ICEEFT is required for listing on the WBCEFT Therapist Directory. Click here to become a member of ICEEFT.
When registering:
- If you are renewing your listing, please check the renewal directory subscription and check the box that says all information remains the same or complete the fields that are new or should be updated.
- If you are listing your information for the first time, please check the new directory subscription and complete all fields.
- If you are a student, please check the student directory subscription and complete all fields.
EFCT with Sexual and Gender Minority Clients: Some Techniques and Considerations
Date: January 15, 2025
Time: 1pm-3pm EST
Location: Virual via Zoom
Price: $60. early bird registration until 12/15/24,
$85. after 12/16/24; $40. Diversity rate;
Presenter: David Avruch, LCSW-C
Attachment longings are universal, but diversity is increasingly the norm among couples seeking EFCT. During this training, we will draw from attachment theory, published research, the EFCT toolbox, David's experience serving LGBTQ+ couples, and some taped EFCT sessions. Our goal is to explore how clinicians can serve sexual and gender minority couples respectfully and effectively within a changing landscape - whether we emerge from the LGBTQ+ community or not.
Working with Trauma with Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
Dates: January 17, 2025
Time: 12pm-4:15pm EST
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Price: $150. early bird registration until 9/30/24,
$175. after 10/1/24; $125. Diversity rate
Presenter: Dr. T. Leanne Campbell
Registered Psychologist and ICEEFT Certified Trainer
This workshop will focus on and provide a brief introduction to the theory and practice of EFT in working with individuals who are struggling with the echoes of trauma. The focus will be on understanding the impacts of trauma and core models of health and dysfunction from an attachment perspective, the primacy of emotion and the foundational requisite of creating a safe haven alliance in transforming trauma.
Working with Ambivalence in EFT
Time: 9am-4:30pm EST
Location: In person at 3120 Fairview park Drive Falls Church VA 22042 (courtesy of Curo Counseling). **Free parking, nearest metro stop -Vienna with free shuttle bus to building available
Presenter: Dr. Ting Liu, ICEEFT Certified 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.
George Faller: “Blocks and Handling the In-between Steps"
Dates: May 2 and 3, 2024
Time: 9am-4:30pm EST
Location: Live, In-person, Veterans Plaza
1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Price: $400. early bird registration until 3/31/24,
$450. after 4/1/24; $325. Diversity rate;
Presenter: George Faller, LMFT, EFT Trainer
Welcome to this exciting Masterclass with George Faller, LMFT, EFT Trainer. George is back for another workshop, helping us to go even deeper into those challenging spots and navigate the trickiest cases in our caseloads! Get ready as we embark on a dynamic journey of discussion around your specific cases – a highly coveted masterclass format. We hope you can go back to work and immediately apply what you learn with your couples.
Panel: How do I do an EFT Intensive?
Date: Wednesday April 24, 2024
Time: 12pm-2pm EST
Location: Virtual, on Zoom
Cost: $50. **50% of all proceeds will go to Conexa East Africa.
Presenters: Rebecca Clark, LMFT, Nancy Knudsen, LMFT, Michele Louviere, LMFT and Mark Maxwell, PsyD, LMFT
Join us for an informative panel on the what, how and why to providing EFT in an intensive format. We will hear from four excellent EFT therapists/supervisors who each have extensive experience offering EFT intensives in their own practices. Each will share their experiences and approach to offering intensives: from scheduling to logistics to pros and cons of offering EFT in this format. We will also have Q & A portion.
This panel is offered as a fundraiser for Conexa East Africa.
Trailblazing New EFT Ground: Beyond Context & Cultural Humility
Date: March 8, 2024
Time: 9am-4:30pm EST
Location: In person: 3120 Fairview park Drive Falls Church VA 22042
Price: $200. early bird registration until 1/31/24, $250. after 2/1/24; Diversity rate: $125.
Presenter: Paul Guillory Ph.D., EFT Trainer
This workshop addresses useful clinical concepts (e.g., talking about culture, internalized racism, cultural stress, cultural identity as internal dynamic processes) and how they can be integrated into clinical interventions.
An Introduction to Ketamine Assisted EFT
Date: Friday, February 23, 2024
Time: 12pm-3pm EST
Location: Virtual, on Zoom
Cost: $60. **After administrative fees, all proceeds go to Conexa East Africa.
Presenter: Kathryn Rheem, Ed.D., LMFT
Join us online as Kathryn Rheem, Ed.D., LMFT, ICEEFT Trainer introduces the application of Ketamine Assisted EFT! Over the last two years, Kathryn has received 126 hours of specialized Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) training (from the father of KAP Phil Wolfson, MD, of Ketamine Training Institute, Polaris Insight, Fluence among others) and has been providing Ketamine Assisted EFT for her couples, families and individual clients for the last year now. Join us for this introduction of this revelatory intervention that may change your practice and your client's day-to-day life experience!
Multi-cultural Faux Pas in EFT
Dates: December 1st, 2023
Time: 10am-1:15pm EST
Location: On-line via Zoom
Price: $100. early bird registration until 9/30/23,
$125. after 10/1/23; $75. Diversity rate; $20 additional for 3 CEs
Presenter: Dr. Mary Hinson, LCMHCS and Tanisha James, LCSW, LCAS, CCS-I
Being open and committed to supporting minority clients will likely result in some missteps. In turn, minority clients are often hesitant to be transparent with clinicians in sharing that an encounter has made them uncomfortable. It is up to counselors to hold this space for clients to voice any thoughts and concerns. This presentation will explore common missteps in the counseling process with minority clients and how to address and repair those relationships.
Core Skills Series 2023-2024
Core Skills Series 2023-2024
Dates:
Core Skills 1: October 25, 26, and 27 2023
Core Skills 2: January 10, 11 and 12 2024
Core Skills 3: March 13, 14, and 15 2024
Core Skills 4: May 15, 16, and 17 2024
Time: 9am -1:15pm EST each day
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Kathryn Rheem, Ed.D., LMFT
In the overall context of the EFT Tango, each Core Skills module is dedicated to specific steps of the model and the therapeutic tasks and interventions characteristic of those steps. In small groups, approximately 12-16 people, participants study in-depth, each of the EFT steps, through didactic instruction, role play and presentation of their own work via video tape. Participants must show 10 minutes of their work with a real couple during one of the core skills modules.
An Ethical Exit Plan for EFT Therapists
Date: September 22nd, 2023
Time: 10am-1:15pm EST
Location: On-line via Zoom
Price: $100. early bird registration until 7/31/23,
$125. after 8/1/23; $75. Diversity rate; $20 additional for 3 CEs
Presenter: Elisa Joy Seibert, Ph.D., M.Div., Licensed Psychologist
We will explore contraindications for EFT and listen more deeply into our own personal warning flags that tell us we will not be the best fit for certain types of clients. We will learn that a deep sense of knowing ourselves is actually an essential piece of ethical client care and self-care. From that new awareness, we will explore the preventative and responsive components of a healthy and ethical exit plan as we practice EFT, getting clear on what to do before ever meeting with clients and also what to do once we are already into the therapy process together if we discover the fit is not (or is no longer) good.
Community Spotlight: Enacting for Safety
Date: Friday September 8th
Time: 9-10am EST
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $20
Presenter: Melissa Callahan, LMFT
In this EFT Spotlight, we are going to focus on EFT Enactments and their importance in supporting our couples and families moving closer to a deeper sense of security.
Introduction to Military Culture and Using EFT with Military Couples
Date: Friday June 9th, 2023
Time: 9-10am EST
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $20
Presenter: Elizabeth "Liz" Polinsky, LCSW, LMFT
In this brief workshop, an overview of military culture will be provided along with a discussion about how to incorporate military cultural dynamics into your work when using EFT with military couples. Resources for learning more about military culture will be provided.
Sharpening Your Focus and Going Deeper in EFT
Couples work is a dynamic challenge! It can be invigorating and exciting … and sometimes confusing and discouraging. This cutting edge course is designed to enhance, deepen, and expand your work by helping you stay focused and implement specific micro-moves that empower couple therapists to stay on target and remain grounded. You will emerge from this workshop with a distilled set of ‘what works’ applications that can be applied immediately in your clinical work. Grounded in the neuroscience of human attachment, this training takes the best of proven interventions and applies them to the recurring blocks and triggers that all couple therapists encounter.
Dates: May 18 and 19, 2023
Time: 9am-4:30pm EST
Location: Live, In-person, Hyatt Regency Bethesda
Price: $400. early bird registration until 3/31/23,
$450. after 4/1/23; $325. Diversity rate; $30 additional for 12 CEs
Presenter: George Faller, LMFT, EFT Trainer
Shame and the Negative Cycle: A Closer Look at the Meaning Making in Couple and Family interaction
Date: Friday March 31st, 2023
Time: 9-10am EST
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $20
Presenter: Autumn McCain, LMFT
Together we will briefly explore what Shame is, how it tends to show up in the lives of our clients, how it deeply impacts them, and how it influences their interaction in relationship. We will also look at the traditional purser- withdrawer negative cycle and common underlying messages that speak shame.
The invitation during this time is to learn together, to be reflective, and engaged.
Betrayal Trauma from an EFT Perspective
Date: Friday March 10th, 2023
Time: 10am-1:15pm EST
Place: On-line via Zoom
Price: $100 early bird registration until 1/31/23, $125 after 2/1/23; $75- Diversity rate; $20 additional for 3 CEs
$125. after 1/1/23; $75. Diversity rate
Presenter: Kelly Bourque, LMFT, Certified EFT Therapist and Supervisor
Betrayal Trauma is one of the most difficult presentations. So many unknowns! How do I know it’s safe to do couples work? How recent is too recent to see a couple after a discovery? What about disclosure? How do I do that in the context of EFT? Kelly Bourque, LMFT and Certified EFT Therapist and Supervisor has developed a video series for the injured partner.
EFIT and Helping to Heal Survivors of Sexual Trauma: An introduction to a Workshop
Date: Friday December 9th, 2022
Time: 9-10am
Location: Online via zoom
Cost: $20
Presenters: Reena Bernards, LCMFT and Donna Jenson
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81% of women and 43% of men report experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime. Therefore, a therapist is likely to work with clients who are survivors of sexual trauma. Yet many therapists are uncomfortable and unsure of how to help clients work through these traumatic experiences.
Reena Bernards, LCMFT, a certified EFT therapist, and Donna Jenson, an author and national leader among survivors of child sexual abuse, will hold a virtual workshop on Friday January 13th from 10am-12pm. The WBCEFT Community Spotlight on Friday December 9th will be a primer to that workshop.
(FULL) Core Skills, Series 1, Module 4: November 30, December 1 and 2
Core Skills, Series 1, Module 4:
Dates: November 30, December 1 and 2
Time: 9am -1:15pm EST each day
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Kathryn Rheem, Ed.D., LMFT
In the overall context of the EFT Tango, each Core Skills module is dedicated to specific steps of the model and the therapeutic tasks and interventions characteristic of those steps. Core Skills 4 covers Stage Two of EFT steps five, six, and seven for the pursuer.
In small groups, approximately 12-16 people, participants study in-depth, each of the EFT steps, through didactic instruction, role play and presentation of their own work via video tape. Participants must show 10 minutes of their work with a real couple during one of the core skills modules.
To take this training you must have the training and educational qualifications to legally practice as a professional mental health practitioner or be in formal training to be a professional mental health practitioner.
Note: Signing up for Core Skills means that you are committing to completing the 4 modules listed on this registration page. While we break up payments for each module, it is expected that you will complete the 4 modules with the same group to ensure continuity and group safety and cohesion. In rare cases, we can make exceptions. Please email angela@wbceft.com with any questions.
(FULL) Core Skills, Series 1, Module 3: October 12, 13 and 14
Core Skills, Series 1, Module 3:
Dates: October 12, 13 and 14
Time: 9am -1:15pm EST each day
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Kathryn Rheem, Ed.D., LMFT
In the overall context of the EFT Tango, each Core Skills module is dedicated to specific steps of the model and the therapeutic tasks and interventions characteristic of those steps. Core Skills 3 covers Stage Two of EFT steps five, six, and seven for the withdrawer.
In small groups, approximately 12-16 people, participants study in-depth, each of the EFT steps, through didactic instruction, role play and presentation of their own work via video tape. Participants must show 10 minutes of their work with a real couple during one of the core skills modules.
To take this training you must have the training and educational qualifications to legally practice as a professional mental health practitioner or be in formal training to be a professional mental health practitioner.
Note: Signing up for Core Skills means that you are committing to completing the 4 modules listed on this registration page. While we break up payments for each module, it is expected that you will complete the 4 modules with the same group to ensure continuity and group safety and cohesion. In rare cases, we can make exceptions. Please email angela@wbceft.com with any questions.
Going into the Fire: Working with Highly Escalated Couples
Dates: Wednesday September 28 and 29, 2022
Time: 9:30am-5pm EST each day
Place: Hilton Garden Inn, 706 West Broad Street, Falls Church VA 22046
Price: $400 early bird registration until 7/1/22, $450 after 7/2/22
Trainer: George Faller, LMFT
Through a combination of lecture, videotaped session samples, and exercises, participants will learn to better conceptualize EFT and to help couples recognize and deescalate problematic cycles of interaction. Participants will also learn to help couples create or restore the emotional bond between them once the negative cycle, and the attachment needs that drive it, has been understood. deescalate problematic cycles of interaction. Participants will also learn to help couples create or restore the emotional bond between them once the negative cycle, and the attachment needs that drive it, has been understood.
EFT Meets Sex Therapy
Dates: Friday September 23rd and October 21st 2022
Time: 10am-12pm EST
Location: Live online via zoom
Price: $100, Early Bird price $80 until August 1, 2022
Presenters: Sarah Cook, LICSW and Angela Fowler-Hurtado, LICSW
An online introductory training to Working with Sexual Challenges in EFT Couples Therapy.
September 23rd session– Sex Psychoeducation and Attachment
October 21st session– Working with the sexual cycle and Self as therapist concerns
Early EFTers Drop In Supervision Group
Prerequisite: Completion of EFT Externship
Dates: Wednesdays: September 21, October 19, November 9, December 14, 2022
Time: 10am-12pm EST
Location: Online via Zoom
If you've completed Externship and are starting to practice and feel into EFT, are questions coming up for you? Do you find yourself feeling stuck in places or couples not responding the way you had hoped?
If so, we invite you to join Angela Fowler-Hurtado and Sarah Cook for a drop-in supervision group to discuss what is coming alive for you in sessions.
We are here to support, answer questions and fill in the gaps for you. Learning EFT is not a linear process and we know it's harder going at it alone, so come when the group feels relevant for you! Our goal is to create safe spaces to navigate together the EFT road map.
Addressing the Self-of-the-Therapist in EFT
Date: Friday September 9th, 2022
Time: 9-10am EST
Location: Online via zoom
Cost: $20
Presenter: Emily Brown Levis, LMFT
Engaging with self-of-the-therapist (SOT) issues is an essential part of every therapist’s journey. This process is especially relevant when working experientially with our clients using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Unlike other therapy models, EFT implores us to use ourselves in the room – our own responses, somatic experiences, empathy, etc. – to facilitate revision for our clients. As we become our client’s temporary attachment figures and engage with our own limbic systems, many of us face our own attachment fears and longings. In this community spotlight, Emily will share about what the research says about the common challenges we face as we become EFT therapists, as well as create a space to explore our own SOT issues when working with clients.
(FULL) Core Skills, Series 1, Module 2: August 31, September 1 and 2
Core Skills, Series 1, Module 2:
Dates: August 31, September 1 and 2
Time: 9am -1:15pm EST each day
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Trainer: Kathryn Rheem, Ed.D., LMFT
In the overall context of the EFT Tango, each Core Skills module is dedicated to specific steps of the model and the therapeutic tasks and interventions characteristic of those steps. Core Skills 2 covers Stage One of EFT steps three and four.
In small groups, approximately 12-16 people, participants study in-depth, each of the EFT steps, through didactic instruction, role play and presentation of their own work via video tape. Participants must show 10 minutes of their work with a real couple during one of the core skills modules.
To take this training you must have the training and educational qualifications to legally practice as a professional mental health practitioner or be in formal training to be a professional mental health practitioner.
Note: Signing up for Core Skills means that you are committing to completing the 4 modules listed on this registration page. While we break up payments for each module, it is expected that you will complete the 4 modules with the same group to ensure continuity and group safety and cohesion. In rare cases, we can make exceptions. Please email angela@wbceft.com with any questions.
Mindfulness Tools for Opening Present Moment Experience in EFT Sessions
Mindfulness Tools for Opening Present Moment Experience in EFT Sessions
As EFT therapists we are continually refining our ability to slow down response time to enable us to create new neuropathways that lead to intimacy rather than disconnection. It is hard work.
Mindfulness and meditation techniques can be taught and utilized in session as a means to slow down and press pause. With practice, these tools allow clients to enter purely into present moment experience. Mindfulness can also be profoundly helpful in overcoming sexual distress and enhancing a sexual connection.
Clients can use skills learned in sessions at home both individually and in partnership. Come and learn how you can integrate mindfulness and meditation into couples' work, and sex therapy.
EFiT and Infertility: Creating Healing Connection Within: Part 2
Part 2: Phyllis Fortunato, M.Ed., LPC will continue her discussion on ways to utilize the EFiT model when working with clients undergoing infertility treatment or family building decisions. Phyllis will focus on working with individuals (partnered or not) with EFiT assisting the client to identify their inner-tango and resource parts of self.
Externship
The EFT Externship is the introductory 28-hour training in Dr. Sue Johnson's Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and also the pre-requisite for other EFT trainings and to become a certified EFT Therapist. With an emphasis on the application for couple therapy, this training includes an overview of the entire model including steps and stages, the Tango, interventions, adult attachment theory, and the important role of emotion in love relationships. The Externship is recommended for all types of mental health clinicians who counsel or want to counsel couples.
*CEs have been requested and will be available to those participants who can attend the full externship in real time for an additional fee from R Cassidy Seminars.
EFT Across Contexts
This on-line training, led by Dr. James Hawkins, is geared toward equipping therapists with a frame for doing EFT across various cultural or societal contexts. It will include demonstrations and clinical examples. Focus of this training will include:
-Seeing the relationship between attachment and contextual variables
-Getting clearer on client’s context: Assessment
-Honoring Culture in the EFT Process
*CEs have been requested and will be available to those participants who can attend all 3 hours in real time for an additional fee from R Cassidy Seminars.