Neurodivergent Affirming Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Core Clinician Training

4 day training spread over 8 weekly half days.

Facilitators:
Helen Hargreaves MSW, RSW - EFFT Trainer in Training 
Natasha Files MSW, RSW 

Helpers:
Jennifer Danby

Lisa McCaskell  

18 CE Credits

ONLINE

Dates:

January 12

January 19

January 26

February 2 

February 9

February 16

February 23

March 2

​9am-12pm PST (British Columbia, so equivalent to MTN) / 11am-2pm EST

Centering the needs of all clients, including neurodivergent clients, is a foundational value of EFFT and informs all of our trainings. In this particular training, we will intentionally and explicitly center the perspectives, needs, and lived experiences of neurodivergent clinicians, caregivers, and their loved ones throughout the learning process.

To support accessibility for neurodivergent clinicians, reflection, and integration of the material, we will be offering the traditional 3-day EFFT Core Clinician Training curriculum as a 4-day training, delivered in half-day sessions over 8 weeks. The training will include all Core content while also exploring further thoughts on how EFFT can be applied with neurodivergent children, youth, adults, caregivers, and clinicians. Consideration will be given throughout the training to differing learning styles, sensory experiences, processing and support needs that may arise in both caregiving and clinical contexts (more information listed below). These adaptations are intended both to model neurodivergent affirming teaching practices and to offer meaningful support for neurodivergent clinicians.

A model aligned with community-based care, the essence of EFFT is to afford caregivers a role in supporting their loved one’s well-being, treatment and/or recovery, regardless of their age, level of motivation or involvement in formal treatment themselves. The clinician’s role is to support parents and caregivers to increase their involvement in three domains of intervention including: 1. behavioral support, 2. emotional support and 3. in the use of therapeutic apologies, if relevant.

A conceptualization of problematic caregiving patterns will also be presented - from both an emotion-focused lens and informed by HIPP theory (Menakem). This frame will be followed by the offering of various tools and techniques to support clinicians and caregivers to identify, understand, and transform “blocks” that can lead to their engagement in potentially problematic attitudes or behaviours. A fifth and parallel module will be introduced to identify and transform clinician blocks, where relevant.

Throughout the training days, Helen and Natasha will provide an overview of the EFFT model, including ways to anchor the work in principles of anti-oppression and emotion theory. Then, a focus will turn towards various tools and techniques to work through caregiver and clinician blocks, engaging participants using didactic and experiential learning. Finally, an overview of each of the intervention modules will be presented with varying depth, followed by ideas to support the integration of the material within one's practice.

The training will include various skills and techniques that can be integrated into existing treatment models for those clients and families for whom standard care is insufficient despite everyone's best efforts. Videos will also be shared for demonstration purposes.

No prior training is required. Participation can be active or passive. Participants with various training backgrounds are welcome. Videos may be included and therefore this training will not be recorded.

How is this training different from a standard Core training?

In addition to including the full EFFT Core Clinician Training curriculum, this training has been intentionally designed to support neurodivergent-affirming learning.

Participants can expect:

• Eight half-day training sessions delivered over eight weeks, allowing for more breaks, reduced cognitive load, and additional time to consolidate learning.
• Increased opportunities to practice skills, reflect on their application, and return with questions and observations between sessions.
• Case examples and clinical discussions that primarily focus on neurodivergent children, youth, adults, caregivers, and clinicians.
• Greater use of visual supports and reduced reliance on text-heavy slides.
• Multi-modal learning experiences, including the integration of creative modalities such as music, visual arts, metaphor, and experiential activities.
• Weekly pre-session emails outlining the upcoming agenda, discussion questions, and experiential opportunities to support preparation, predictability, and a variety of processing and learning needs.
• Ongoing discussion of how EFFT can be adapted and applied in ways that honour neurodivergent experiences, communication styles, sensory needs, and ways of being.

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Training Details
Dates: January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9 16, 23, March 2

Time: 9:00am-12:00 pm PST (BC) / 11:00am-2:00pm EST

Training Venue: Zoom

Registration Fee: $1000 CAD/person ​

Register Here

DISCOUNTS

Individual discount codes below for those with financial insecurity. 

Please contact for group discount for 5 or more. Please reach out to discuss options if further financial support is needed: connect@mentalhealthfoundations.ca 

15%  - DISCOUNT15

25% - DISCOUNT25

Click here for details on our policy for substitutions and refunds.