Professional Development/Training Guidelines

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This section is for Peer Supporters and Clinicians (non-therapists). Please find below suggestions for professional development to strengthen your practice and delivery of EFFT theory and interventions:

1. Didactic/experiential training (recommended six days) by certified EFFT trainers   

2. Completion of the following paper/pencil tasks:   

    a. Validation and Support Script-builder 

    b. Caregiver V/S Fluency-Builder  

    c. Clinician V/S Fluency-Builder  

    d. Clinician Traps Scale    

3. Facilitation of EFFT interventions from the list below. We encourage you to try as many as possible, with as many different parents/caregivers/families as possible, to acquire the skill, develop fluency and flexibility, and eventual discernment regarding application.

    a. Providing the conditions for caregivers to learn the Validation and Support framework using Didactic and Experiential Techniques (supported via the Script- Builder, the Script-Builder Record Form, the Caregiver Fluency Builder and the Skill Acquisition and Fluency Clinician Guide)

    b. Various Caregiver Block Intervention options:

1. Regulation of the Nervous System (with breath, movement, music, etc.) 
2. Practice to override default modes
3. Caregiver Traps Scale
4. Tree Metaphor
5. Animal Models 
6. Relationship Dimensions Tool 
7. Validation and Support 

*Please note that Caregiver Block Chair Work is restricted to the practice of psychotherapy

4. Engagement with the EFFT interventions from the list below. We encourage you to try as many as possible, on your own, with colleagues, and in supervision, to increase awareness of the expression of clinician blocks, inhibit defensiveness, engage with the internal experience, and re-orient with compassion, care, structure, warmth, etc. We also encourage you to practice asking for help from colleagues with whom you feel psychologically safe.

a.  Various Clinician Block intervention options:

1. Regulation of the Nervous System (with breath, movement, music, etc.) 
2. Practice to override default modes
3. Clinician Traps Scale
4. Tree Metaphor
5. Animal Models 
6. Relationship Dimensions Tool 
7. Validation and Support 
8. Practices of Self-Inquiry (Clinician Domino Effect Intervention; Clinician Block Self-Directed Workbook ; Process of Emotional Self-Exploration)
9. Clinician Block Chair-work 

*Please note that Clinician Block Chair-Work is NOT restricted to the practice of psychotherapy

5. Directed supervision (recommended 10 hours or more) in individual or group format with a focus on core components of the model and facilitated by a certified EFFT supervisor    

*Training options can include:  

    · attending a core or advanced EFFT training (repeat attendance can deepen the learning)   

    · observing a two-day EFFT caregiver workshop

    · attending other online trainings lead by an EFFT trainer - live or on-demand  

    · completing individual EFFT supervision

    · attending free "In My Experience" webinars on Mental Health Foundations 

    · viewing free recorded clinician videos on Mental Health Foundations

6. Be guided by the following principles in the work you do with families:

• Trans-diagnostic

• Community-based support and caregiver empowerment 

• Family focus (of origin or found) 

• Focus on emotion, behavioral, cognitive, relational and somatic theories, including nervous system de-activation

• Structure and scaffolded skills training (+ repetition / playfulness) 

• 1 degree effect, planting seeds, difference from baseline 

• Transparency, collaboration & meaning-making

• No-blame framework 

• Clinicians as equals / as humans 

• Not-if-but-how stance

• It can’t be done vs I/we can’t do it

• Focus on systemic blocks with respect to both the conceptualization and tending to caregiver and clincian blocks