Welcome to the EFT Quebec bilingual community
ABOUT US
EFT Quebec is a bilingual community of mental health practitioners who practice, study and promote Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for individuals, couples and families in both French and English. EFT is a research-based model developed by Dr. Sue Johnson that provides a map for connection, closeness and healing. Our focus is on building a professional home for local EFT therapists that brings all parts of people’s identities together to encourage learning, development and certification in EFT. For therapists who are new to EFT as well as seasoned EFT therapists, we offer support and inspiration in addition to EFT training, and referrals to EFT therapists and supervisors. For the greater Quebec community, we offer a group of inspired, competent therapists who can use EFT to build, heal and strengthen relationships of all kinds.
Our invitation: You are welcome here. Whether you are in a black, brown, Asian, indigenous or white body. Whether you are anglophone or francophone or allophone. Whether you are in your body as female, male or gender non-binary. Whether you are in your body as gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, two-spirited, pansexual, queer or heterosexual. You are welcome here regardless of your religious affiliation or non-affiliation, your age, class and differing abilities. Whether you are a new EFT learner or an experienced one, we want you to feel safe to be with us as your whole self, all of your humanity, without any worry about being discriminated against, or excluded in this space. You are welcome here.
- Statement inspired by Robin Williams Blake & Lorrie Brubacher
Statement on diversity: We are a bilingual community that constantly strives to learn how to embody diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, religious affiliation, mental/physical ability, and socio-economic status to promote a safe place for learning, growth, and exchanges.
We offer a space to...
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LEARN AND GROW through resources for professionals and local trainings
What's EFT?
Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) is an APA empirically validated approach founded by Dr. Sue Johnson that applies to individuals (emotionally focused individual therapy; EFIT), couples (emotionally focused couple therapy; EFCT), and families (emotionally focused family therapy; EFFT). The principles of EFT are rooted in the theory of adult attachment, which emphasizes that human beings are wired for connection. In fact, as mammals, we are biologically programmed to turn toward a loved one for comfort when we experience distress. In turn, their response to our needs for connection (for example, reassurance, acceptance, respect) directly influences the regulation of our emotions by physiologically calming our nervous system. Over time, these experiences shape the way we cope with strong emotions, as well as the beliefs we develop about ourselves (e.g., I am worthy of love, my needs are important) and our world (e.g., I can rely on and be vulnerable with my partner). Emotion and emotion regulation thus become the key active ingredients of change, as they signal to our bodies where to focus our attention for healing and provide the motivation to take action. The EFT therapist intervenes using a non-pathologizing, collaborative, and client-centered experiential approach to provide a safe space for clients to explore their patterns of relating to themselves and others. Overall, the goals of EFT are threefold. The first step is to develop an awareness of our relational patterns and our role in the maintenance of those interactions. The second step is to create meaning of our emotional experiences by getting in touch with and deepening our understanding of our primary emotions, feelings, and disowned needs. Finally, the last step involves restructuring our interactions by increasing our tolerance of emotions, improving our management of emotions, and practicing communication, connection, and effective engagement with others.