Emotion-Focused Family Therapy 

Emotion Focused Family Therapy is rooted in a deep and unwavering belief in the healing power of families. The essence of EFFT is to afford caregivers a significant role in their loved one’s mental health and well-being.

Sheila Paluzzi MSW RSW is a certified EFFT trainer and supervisor with the International Institute for Emotion Focused Family Therapy and has been practicing EFFT for seven years. She has been facilitating training ​/workshops​ and consultations​ for four​ years. If you are interested in any of the services listed below, ​contract Sheila at: sheilapaluzzi888@gamil.com or 1-705-941-0647​

For more information about Sheila's professional experience, click here. 
Emotion-Focused Family Therapy is a new and innovative treatment model for the caregivers of children​ struggling with:
  • Behavioural problems
  • Anxiety/OCD
  • Depression/Self-injury
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance use, etc.
*Note: these techniques can be used in individual therapy with caregivers; having the full family present is not necessary*

​Parents and caregivers often feel helpless when their child (no matter the age) is experiencing a mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, or an eating disorder. They are also often left out of treatment: sometimes because the child requests this; sometimes because the parent requests individual treatment for the child; and sometimes due to agency protocol. Yet family members, if provided with the opportunity and the right tools, can often have the biggest impact on a child’s healing. This is where Emotion-Focused Family Therapy comes in.

Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) is an innovative treatment model, rooted in a deep and unwavering belief in the healing power of families. The goal of EFFT is to support and empower caregivers to adopt a primary role in their loved one’s recovery, regardless of the loved one’s age, level of motivation or involvement in formal treatment themselves. The clinician’s role is to help caregivers to master the skills, tasks and feelings involved in four main domains:

1. Becoming their loved one’s behaviour coach, by supporting them through the interruption of symptoms and maladaptive behaviors;
2. Becoming their loved one’s emotion coach, by supporting them to approach, process and manage stress, emotions and emotional pain;
3. Facilitating relationship repair and healing possible wounds from the child and family’s past in order to help loved ones to let go of the weight of old injuries, and
4. Working through and resolving the fears and obstacles that surface in the caregiver during this challenging and novel journey.

This final component is critical since, throughout the course of treatment, some well-intentioned caregivers can struggle to support their loved one’s treatment. They may even engage in behaviours that enable their loved one’s symptoms, creating challenges for even the most experienced clinicians. For this reason, the EFFT model includes a module for clinician and team challenges as well.


Care Providers

​(therapists, counsellors, social workers, health care practitioners, educators)​
Upcoming ​Training: October 1-3 2018

Upcoming ​Training: April 14 -16, 2021
EFFT Training: 3 day Core (in person)
The Healing Loft - 719 Queen St. SSM, ON​ ​
9 am - 4 pm

​This three day clinician training is suited for newcomers to Emotion Focused Family Therapy as well as those with prior training and experience. Background/experience in family therapy is not necessary. This is an excellent learning opportunity for medical professionals, psychologists, social workers, nurses, school counsellors, educators and others who interact with individuals, parents and/or families. This training includes experiential components and participants will learn techniques that can be integrated into existing treatment models for clients & families. We will explore and learn all of the core skills of EFFT and participants will also learn how to apply these skills in their work. ​

Cost: 675.00 (HST included)

Registration required as there are limited spots available. Connect with sheilapaluzzi888@gmail.com to register. 

* To book a private EFFT training at your agency, contact Sheila at the email address above or 1(705) 941-0647.

Supervision/Consultation
Consultation sessions are offered for individual clinicians or groups. These sessions support your clinical application of EFFT and also count towards certification with the International Institute for Emotion Focused Family Therapy.
​
Available in person or online by appointment. ​

Call now to register

For Caregivers

(parents, foster parents, step-parents, etc.)
​Caregiver​ sessions: available in person or online.

​Caregiver​ sessions: available in person or online.
​Available by appointment. ​

Emotion Coaching workshops:
​2 hour workshop designed to provide parents with the skills of Emotion Coaching, which have been proven to be an effective tool supporting the prevention and intervention of mental health issues.​ Available by group or agency request.

Caregiver workshops:
​2 day workshops designed to cover all of the EFFT modules and provide parents with a multitude of skills to support their child's mental health. Available by group or agency request.​

FREE Caregiver ​webinars​: 
​Available at: http://www.mentalhealthfoundations.ca/parent-coaching. We also provide other free resources for caregivers on this website!

Ready to get started?

Request more information about our mobile services!

Share by: