We are delighted to be able to offer this short course applying Emotionally Focused Family Therapy to Stepcouples and Stepfamilies. Our trainers will be Gail Palmer RMFT, MSW and Jim Furrow Ph.D., both highly experienced Family Therapists and Trainers in Emotionally Focused Therapy (bios below).

Stepfamilies are unique family structures which impact family members individually, within the romantic relationship, as well as the caregiving system between parent and child. In EFFT (Emotionally Focused Family Therapy), we conceptualise step-family difficulties as attachment dilemmas. For example, many conflicts following remarriage can be traced to attachment losses activated by the introduction of a step-parent which become masked in negative interactional patterns that divide the new couple and alienate the child. In this course, we examine how EFFT honours the different relationships that exist between the parent and child, as well as within the romantic relationship. We will demonstrate our work with video tape examples, and offer experiential exercises designed to help participants immerse themselves in the experience of stepfamily development.

The cost of this course is £420 if booked before 31 August 2025.

Register here

We look forward to seeing you!

Gail Palmer, RMFT, MSW is one of the founding members of the Ottawa Couple and Family Institute and Co-Director of the International Center of Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy. She holds a Masters degree in Social Work and is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist in Canada. Over the past 30 years, Gail has worked closely with Dr Sue Johnson, creator of Emotionally Focused Therapy, and is an experienced supervisor and trainer in EFT. She currently offers workshops, externships and core skills trainings to mental health professionals in a variety of different settings across the world. She chairs the ICEEFT Education Committee and is responsible for mentoring and training EFT trainers internationally. Gail is an adjunct faculty member at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada and a sessional lecturer at Oxford University, Oxford, England.

James Furrow, Ph.D., is a recognised leader in the development and practice of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with couples and families. Together with EFT originator, Dr. Susan Johnson, Jim co-authored Becoming an EFT Therapist: The Workbook and The EFT Casebook, and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy: Restoring Connection and Promoting Resilience. Jim maintains an active research programme studying the process of EFT and its outcome with couples and families. His research appears in Applied Developmental Science, Developmental Psychology, Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Journal of Systemic Therapies, and Psychology and Spirituality. Formerly Jim served as the Freed Professor of Marital and Family Therapy at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology where he trained psychologists and marital and family therapists in couple therapy for over two decades. He is a clinical fellow and an approved supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, a member of the National Council on Family Relations, and a Certified Family Life Educator. He is a certified EFT therapist, supervisor, and trainer.

Contact Sarah McConnell with any questions: sarahmcconn@gmail.com