Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Conference - Sept. 23-24, 2021

Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Conference Sept. 23-24, 2021

Join us for a two-day conference on September 23 and 24, 2021 on Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) for Alaska mental health providers, therapists and others who work with parents and alternative caregivers of children with eating disorders and other mental health challenges. Registration includes four hours of consultative follow-up with Dr. Elizabeth Easton and other conference attendees on applying EFFT in practice. In addition to the conference for clinicians, AKEDA will provide a free full-day workshop on September 26 for family members to learn how to apply the skills of EFFT at home. We encourage clinicians to recommend that parents and other caregivers in their practice attend this workshop.

Learning the EFFT Modality: Influenced by the theory and science of interpersonal neurobiology, the goal of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) is to support caregivers to increase their role in their loved one’s recovery from mental health issues. In fact, the EFFT clinician believes that it is most therapeutically worthwhile to empower parents to help their children, regardless of age, given that they are “wired” together. Thus, clinicians' main responsibility is to support parents in becoming an active agent of healing. They do so by supporting parents and alternate caregivers to increase their involvement in: (1) interrupting symptoms and supporting health-focused behaviors, (2) helping their child to process overt and underlying emotions that may be fueling problematic thoughts and symptoms, and (3) leading the repair of relational injuries if applicable.

Throughout treatment, the EFFT clinician also seeks to transform “emotion blocks” in caregivers who struggle to implement interventions. Recent EFFT research has revealed that these caregivers are not unable or unmotivated to act as positive agents of change; rather, they are blocked by emotion, and in particular fear and self-blame. As such, the treating clinician employs specific EFFT techniques to attend to and process these emotion blocks in order to increase caregiver self-efficacy and recovery-focused support, and in a way that is respectful and compassionate. Such emotional blocks are also identified and processed in clinicians as they implement these interventions.

EFFT is a lifespan approach that can be delivered with entire families, parent-child dyads, and with parents only. In fact, one of the key strengths of the EFFT approach lies in the fact that clinicians can support caregivers to take on these roles regardless of their loved one’s age or involvement in formal treatment themselves, creating hope for those families whose child refuses service. EFFT can be integrated into existing treatment models and at various levels of care to empower both families and clinician teams.

EFFT was initially developed for caregivers of loved ones with eating disorders. Its application has since been extended for those struggling to support a loved one with a wide range of behavioral and emotional issues. This conference will focus on eating disorders and other mental health challenges.

Presenter: Elizabeth Easton, Psy.D., CEDS

Dr. Elizabeth Easton is a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of Psychotherapy at Eating Recovery Center & Pathlight Behavioral Health. In collaboration with the organization’s Chief Clinical Officer, she consults on all psychotherapy services nationally for patients and caregivers.  Dr. Easton graduated with a Doctorate of Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.  She then trained specifically in the treatment of OCD, ADHD, mood and eating disorders at The Children’s Hospital of Colorado.  Over the last decade, Dr. Easton developed and oversaw two higher levels of care treatment centers in Denver, Colorado before moving into her current role.  Dr. Easton is a certified Advanced Psychotherapist & Supervisor in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) and a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS).  She is also a board member for the International Institute for EFFT.  As a clinician, leader, and educator, Dr. Easton has dedicated her career to the power of caregivers as the agents of change and healing for their loved ones.Join us for a 2-day training in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy. Rooted in a deep and unwavering belief in the healing power of parents and caregivers, the essence of EFFT is to afford them a significant role in their loved one’s mental health and well-being while also reducing the frequency of therapy-interfering behaviors. EFFT can also be integrated into existing treatment models for those clients and families who do not respond to standard care.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the systemic, neurobiological, and psychological  rationales for a larger and more comprehensive role for caregivers throughout the recovery process
• Teach emotion processing skills to caregivers for use in their support of their loved ones, specifically for some of the most challenging emotions
• Recognize the emotional processes underlying therapy-interfering behaviors in clients, caregivers, clinicians and treatment teams
• Discuss ways to support caregivers and clinicians to work through emotional blocks